10 exercises — how "in due course" defers to a future, appropriate-but-unspecified time, without urgency.
Quick reference
In due course: defers an action to its proper, unspecified future time
Fixed form: no article, no plural — "in due course," not "in the due course"
No urgency: the opposite of "right away" or "immediately"
Future-only: cannot attach to a past event
Register: neutral-to-formal, common in support replies and formal status updates
0 / 16 completed
1 / 16
A support ticket reply reads: "We've logged the bug and it will be triaged ___ ." Which phrase best signals that something will happen eventually, at the appropriate time, without promising an exact date?
In due course is a fixed idiom meaning "eventually, at the proper or appropriate time." It takes no article and stays singular. "In the due course" wrongly adds "the," "on due course" uses the wrong preposition, and "in due courses" wrongly pluralizes it.
2 / 16
Which sentence uses "in due course" correctly?
"The RFC has been submitted; feedback... will follow in due course" correctly signals that a future response will come at its proper, unspecified time. It cannot describe a past event or an urgent immediate instruction.
3 / 16
Fill the blank: "The vendor confirmed the outage and said a full incident report would be published ___ ."
In due course has a fixed word order: "in" + "due" + "course." The other options scramble this into invalid, meaningless sequences.
4 / 16
Which pair correctly distinguishes "in due course" from "right away"?
"In due course" deliberately avoids urgency: "You'll receive access in due course" means eventually, once the proper process completes. "Right away" implies the opposite: immediate action.
5 / 16
A release note reads: "This feature is behind a flag for now. A migration guide will be published ___ ." Which best completes the sentence?
In due course is the correct, fixed form. The other options scramble the required word order into invalid phrases.
6 / 16
Which sentence contains an error in the use of "in due course"?
"In due course three hours ago, the on-call engineer restarted the service" incorrectly pairs a forward-looking, unspecified-timing phrase with a specific past timestamp. "In due course" only points toward the future. The other three sentences use it correctly.
7 / 16
Choose the sentence where "in due course" is best replaced by "at the appropriate time" without changing the meaning.
"The compliance review is underway; formal sign-off will be granted at the appropriate time" 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 and time.
8 / 16
A design doc states: "The team acknowledges this workaround is not ideal. A proper fix will be scoped and prioritized ___ ." Which best fits?
In due course is the correct, standard form — no article, and "course" stays singular. Option A wrongly pluralizes "course." Option B wrongly adds "the." Option D wrongly uses "on" instead of "in."
9 / 16
Which register note about "in due course" is accurate?
"In due course" works equally well in a support reply ("We'll follow up in due course") and a formal compliance memo. It always defers to a future, unspecified but proper, time.
10 / 16
Which sentence best demonstrates "in due course" deferring a future action without committing to a specific timeframe?
"...it will roll out to production in due course, once the standard soak-test period completes" is the textbook use: an eventual action tied to a proper process rather than a fixed date. The other options misuse the phrase as a command intensifier, insert it awkwardly mid-clause, or pair it incorrectly with a specific time.
11 / 16
During a standup meeting, David said, "We'll update the API documentation in due course after the release." What is the primary function of this phrase here?
'In due course' here signals a future action without committing to a specific timeframe. It's used when an update is planned but doesn't require immediate attention. The other options present incorrect interpretations of the phrase's function.
12 / 16
During a standup meeting, David said, "We'll update the API documentation in due course after the release." What is the primary function of this phrase here?
'In due course' here signals a future action without committing to a specific timeframe. It's used when an update is planned but doesn't require immediate attention. The other options present incorrect interpretations of the phrase's function.
13 / 16
You're writing a PR description for a small bug fix. The change addresses a rare edge case. You want to indicate that further investigation into similar issues is planned. Which of the following completes the sentence best?
'This fix resolves the immediate issue. We will investigate related cases in due course.'
'In due course' here signifies that the investigation into related cases is planned as part of ongoing monitoring and future development – a systematic approach rather than an immediate, reactive one. Options A & B are too hasty; option D is an overstatement.
14 / 16
Code Review Comment: "Fixes the null pointer exception. However, it doesn't address the underlying cause of the data inconsistency. We'll investigate and implement a more robust solution in due course."
This scenario focuses on a code review context. 'In due course' here signals a commitment to a future, more comprehensive solution rather than immediate rectification. The incorrect options misinterpret the phrase as demanding instant action or suggesting a complete resolution.
15 / 16
PR Description: "This PR resolves a minor UI glitch. We'll conduct further usability testing and enhancements in due course."
Here, 'in due course' frames the PR as part of an ongoing process. It signals that further development is planned, contingent upon future testing and user input – a common approach in iterative development workflows.
16 / 16
Reviewer: "The performance bottleneck is being addressed. However, we'll optimize the database queries in due course after the initial deployment."
The phrase "in due course" signals a planned future action without specifying a timeline. Option A incorrectly frames it as immediate action. Options B and C are also incorrect; 'in due course' doesn't imply indefinite delay or complete resolution. The reviewer is simply postponing optimization.
What will I practise in ""In Due Course" as a Future-Eventuality Marker — IT English Grammar"?
Practice using "in due course" to defer an action to its proper, unspecified future time, in support replies and status updates.
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