ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in this case

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this to talk about a specific situation or example that you just mentioned.

prep. phr.. a prepositional phrase used as a sentence adverbial or discourse marker to restrict the scope of a statement to the specific instance or set of circumstances currently under discussion.


SIMPLE

In this case, we will make an exception for you.

CONTEXTUAL

Most students prefer morning classes, but in this case, the evening session is actually more popular.

COMPLEX

While the general policy prohibits refunds, the manager decided that in this case, a full reimbursement was justified due to the shipping error.

Usage

often used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a specific result or decision.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'in that case', which usually responds to a new piece of information provided by another speaker; 'in this case' focuses on the current facts at hand.

Pitfall

in this casesin this casethe phrase refers to a singular instance or situation, so 'case' must remain singular.

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