Contrast: the opposite of "automatically" or "by default"
Register: neutral-to-formal, common in spoken team discussions and written policy documents
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
A policy doc reads: "We don't have a blanket rule for exceeding rate limits; requests are evaluated ___ ." Which phrase best signals that each instance is judged individually rather than by a fixed rule?
On a case-by-case basis is a fixed idiom meaning "individually, judged on its own merits rather than by a fixed rule." It uses the indefinite article "a" and the preposition "on." "On the case-by-case basis" wrongly uses "the," "in a case-by-case basis" uses the wrong preposition, and "on case-by-cases basis" wrongly pluralizes "case."
2 / 10
Which sentence uses "on a case-by-case basis" correctly?
"Those are reviewed on a case-by-case basis" correctly describes individual evaluation instead of a fixed automated rule. It cannot introduce a bare future plan, an instruction, or a scheduled future event, none of which describe a decision-making method.
3 / 10
Fill the blank: "Exceptions to the coding standard are granted ___ , usually after discussion in code review."
On a case-by-case basis has a fixed word order: "on" + "a" + "case-by-case" + "basis." The other options scramble this into invalid, meaningless sequences.
4 / 10
Which pair correctly distinguishes "on a case-by-case basis" from "automatically"?
"Requests are approved on a case-by-case basis" implies someone reviews each request individually. "Requests are approved automatically" implies a uniform rule with no individual review — the two describe opposite approaches.
5 / 10
An incident response runbook reads: "Whether to page the on-call engineer for a warning-level alert is decided ___ , depending on the affected service." Which best completes the sentence?
On a case-by-case basis is the correct, fixed form. The other options scramble the required word order into invalid phrases.
6 / 10
Which sentence contains an error in the use of "on a case-by-case basis"?
"On a case-by-case basis that the compliance team approved, the server rebooted overnight" incorrectly attaches a relative clause and applies the phrase to an unrelated standalone event rather than to a described decision-making process. The other three sentences use it correctly.
7 / 10
Choose the sentence where "on a case-by-case basis" is best replaced by "individually, on its own merits" without changing the meaning.
"Each request is handled individually, on its own merits" preserves the meaning exactly. The other options misuse the phrase as an urgency marker, an unrelated construction, or a pairing with a specific future date.
8 / 10
A support escalation policy states: "SLA exceptions for enterprise customers are granted ___ by the account team, not automatically." Which best fits?
On a case-by-case basis is the correct, standard form — the indefinite article "a" and singular "case" are fixed. Option A wrongly uses "the." Option B wrongly pluralizes "case." Option D wrongly uses "at" instead of "on."
9 / 10
Which register note about "on a case-by-case basis" is accurate?
"On a case-by-case basis" works equally well in a spoken team discussion ("We'll handle those on a case-by-case basis") and a written support policy document. It always describes individual, judgment-based evaluation rather than a fixed rule.
10 / 10
Which sentence best demonstrates "on a case-by-case basis" describing individual, judgment-based evaluation instead of a fixed automated rule?
"...the platform team reviews overage requests on a case-by-case basis and grants exceptions for legitimate use cases" is the textbook use: individual review contrasted with a rigid automated rule. The other options misuse the phrase as a command intensifier, insert it awkwardly mid-clause, or pair it incorrectly with a future date.
What will I practise in ""On A Case-By-Case Basis" as a Decision-Methodology Marker — IT English Grammar"?
Practice using "on a case-by-case basis" to describe individual, judgment-based evaluation instead of a fixed rule, in policy docs and support runbooks.
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