DEPEND


Meaning of DEPEND in English

verb

1

BAD : The number of hours he worked was depend on the number of absentees.

GOOD : The number of hours he worked depended on the number of absentees.

BAD : The insurance payment is depends on the value of the goods.

GOOD : The insurance payment depends on the value of the goods.

◆◆◆

Do not confuse depend on/upon and the more formal phrase be dependent on/upon. Compare: 'The speed of a car depends on the size of the engine.' 'The speed of a car is dependent on the size of the engine.'

2

BAD : Whether or not she passes is depending upon how hard she works.

GOOD : Whether or not she passes depends upon how hard she works.

◆◆◆

When depend on/upon means 'be shaped or determined by', it is not used in progressive tenses.

3

BAD : It depends on if you've got enough money.

GOOD : It depends on whether you've got enough money.

◆◆◆

i t depends on whether (NOT if ): 'We don't know yet. It all depends on whether the car is fixed in time.'

Longman Common Errors English vocabulary.      Английский словарь распространенных ошибок Longman.