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the ball is in your court: meaning and explanation

The ball is in someone's court communicates the idea that it is now up to somebody to make a decision or take action. You have done everything you can, and it is now the turn of the other person to act.

This idiom is used to emphasise that you have fulfilled your responsibilities and that there is nothing more you can do. It can also be used to remind the other person that they now need to make a decision. e.g. The ball is in your court now. We'll be waiting to hear back from you.

Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?

Listening exercises

Dictation #1

Accent: England (RP)

, .
We’ve fair , now the in .
We’ve them a fair , so now the is in their .

Dictation #2

Accent: Scotland

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Dictation #3

Accent: Ireland

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Extra practice

Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:

  • Can you remember a time when you were told "the ball is in your court", or something similar? How did you handle the responsibility, and what lessons did you learn from those situations?

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Business EnglishIdioms