ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the case of sth

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this to talk about a specific person, thing, or situation that you are focusing on right now.

prep. phr.. used to introduce a specific instance, person, or category that is being discussed or to which a particular rule or statement applies.


SIMPLE

In the case of my brother, he prefers tea over coffee.

CONTEXTUAL

The rules are strict, but in the case of an emergency, you may leave through the back door.

COMPLEX

While the policy applies to most employees, in the case of senior management, different contractual obligations are often negotiated privately.

Usage

usually followed by a noun or noun phrase to narrow the focus of a statement.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'in case of' (without 'the'), which is used for precautions or future possibilities like 'in case of fire'; 'in the case of' is for specific examples.

Pitfall

In case of John, he is late.In the case of John, he is late.without 'the', the phrase usually means 'if something happens' rather than 'regarding this specific person'.

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