Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner1]

Hi,

Does 'is it the case...?' sound natural in conversation?
For example:

Is it the case that you got married last week?

--------------------------------
This sentence is from the Internet:

"Whenever my hair starts growing I can see hair falling. But this is not the case with short hair. What are the causes?"

Is it appropriate to use 'But this is not true with short hair..." here instead of " But this is not the case with short hair. "?

What would be the difference in meaning if the two expressions are interchangeable here?

Thank you for your reply.

[Tex]

Wow, that is an interesting question!

I am new to this forum and my only authority is from my experience as a native speaker. So, my answer may not be a "textbook" answer.

Yes, "is it the case," and, "is it true," mean the same thing.

BUT, "is it the case" does not sound natural in your example, "Is it the case that you got married last week?" It sounds natural to ask, "Is it true that you got married last week?"

Thinking about it, I suspect that the reason why one is more natural than the other in your example because "is it the case" is usually used in a comparison, and your example is not a comparison:

"I always eat a large breakfast, but that is not the case with supper."

"I heard that your twin sister got married last week. Was that also the case with you?"