🗓️ Idiom: State Your Case (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To clearly present your reasons, complaints or argument.
- To explain your point of view or problem so others understand your situation.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The customer called the support line to state her case about the delayed order.
- He emailed the company to state his case regarding the faulty product.
- During the meeting, employees were encouraged to state their case about the new office policies.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom originates from legal language where a person is given the opportunity to state their case in court, meaning to present their argument or defence. Over time, it entered everyday English to mean presenting one’s reasons or complaint clearly.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
If you have a problem with the service, you should ________ clearly and politely.
Answer
state your case
2. Multiple choice:
When someone “states their case,” they:
a) Give their reasons or complaints clearly
b) Remain silent
c) Agree with everything automatically
Answer
a) Give their reasons or complaints clearly
3. Change the sentence using “state your case”:
“The customer explained why the delivery delay was unacceptable.”
Answer
The customer stated her case about the unacceptable delivery delay.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Idioms for Decision Making and Problem Solving
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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