the issue remains open

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the issue remains open" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing a topic or problem that has not yet been resolved or concluded. Example: "After the meeting, it was clear that the issue remains open and requires further discussion."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

But the issue remains open for debate, especially in places like Egypt and conservative Gulf nations like the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times - Sports

The issue remains open, and Elamrani-Jamal holds the view that there were three translations, but different from those here mentioned.

SEP

However, because previous studies focused on either esthetic or moral judgments and did not compare the two directly, the issue remains open whether a common ground actually exists.

Neuroscience Letters

Nearly 50 organizations have signed on to oppose this exemption, and public comment on the issue remains open until July 6.

TechCrunch

Discussion page 9: that Bacteria were the first cellular organisms is a big statement, in my opinion the issue remains open.

Biology Direct

In some studies from Europe (Friedenreich et al, 2007), North America Austinn et al, 1991; Schapira et al, 1991; Swanson et al, 1993; Goodman et al, 1997), and China (Shu et al, 1992; Xu et al, 2005), BMI and waist circumference were stronger predictors of endometrial cancer risk than WHR, but the issue remains open to discussion.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"N.H.T.S.A.'s investigation into this issue remains open, pending the agency's review of the documents provided by Ford in its recall action," an agency spokeswoman, Karen Aldana, wrote in an e-mail.

The New York Times

As a result, that issue remains open for the appeals court's consideration.

The New York Times

Concerning the CCT domain, some groups, as for example the Halobacteriales, may have inherited their sequences by HGT from bacterial donors, but our results do not provide enough support neither to the monophyly of all archaeal CCTs nor to the putative HGT-mediated origin of these sequences, so this issue remains open.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

However, this issue remains open since qualitative content analysis primarily identifies the content in a descriptive way and does not per se provide techniques to investigate the relationship between concepts and categories [ 30].

BMC Health Services Research

Since a reliable method of exosomes quantitation in plasma is not available, this issue remains open.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using alternative phrases like "the matter is still unresolved" or "the question is still under consideration" for a slight variation in tone and emphasis.

Common error

Avoid using "the issue remains open" when a decision has been made but is being appealed or challenged. The phrase implies a lack of conclusion, not a contested one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the issue remains open" functions as a statement indicating that a particular matter is still under consideration, debate, or investigation. Ludwig AI shows numerous examples across diverse fields where the phrase clearly serves this purpose, signalling that a final resolution is pending.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the issue remains open" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that indicates a topic or problem is still under discussion or consideration, with no final decision reached. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides real-world examples. While not overly frequent, it's versatile enough for formal and informal settings. It’s important to use it when the matter is truly unresolved and open for further deliberation, as using the expression when the situation is different could be confusing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the matter is still unresolved

Replaces "issue" with "matter" and uses "unresolved" instead of "open", indicating a lack of resolution.

the question is still under consideration

Substitutes "issue" with "question" and frames the situation as being actively considered.

the matter is still pending

Replaces "issue" with "matter" and indicates that the matter is awaiting further attention or resolution.

the debate continues

Focuses on the ongoing nature of the discussion rather than the openness of the issue.

the topic is still up for discussion

Highlights that the topic is available for further deliberation.

no decision has been reached

Emphasizes the absence of a final decision or conclusion.

the situation is pending

Indicates that the situation is awaiting further action or resolution.

the problem is yet to be solved

Highlights the lack of a solution to a specific problem.

the verdict is still out

Implies uncertainty and a lack of clear outcome.

it's an ongoing concern

Focuses on the continuous nature of the concern or problem.

FAQs

What does "the issue remains open" mean?

It means that a particular topic or problem is still under discussion or consideration, and a final decision or resolution has not yet been reached.

What can I say instead of "the issue remains open"?

You can use alternatives like "the matter is still unresolved", "the question is still under consideration", or "no decision has been reached" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "the issue remains open" in formal writing?

Yes, it is appropriate to use "the issue remains open" in formal writing, as it is a grammatically correct and widely understood phrase. However, consider your audience and choose the most precise language for your context. "The matter is still pending" might be more fitting.

How is "the issue remains open" different from "the issue is closed"?

"The issue remains open" indicates that the discussion or consideration is ongoing, while "the issue is closed" means that a decision has been made, and no further discussion is needed.