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Prepositions after verbs

Depend on, upon, or for?

Depend is usually followed by on. Depend upon is more formal. Depend for is used before a thing or person that provides something specific.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with depend?

Use depend on in most situations. Depend upon has the same meaning but sounds more formal. Use depend on someone for something when you mean receiving help, money, information, or support from them.

Children depend on their parents.
The result depends upon several factors.
We depend on local farms for fresh vegetables.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
depend on + person or thing

Showing reliance

Use depend on for relying on someone or something.

Many people depend on public transport.
I depend on my assistant during busy weeks.
2
depend upon + person or thing

Formal or emphatic style

Depend upon is slightly more formal than depend on.

Success depends upon careful planning.
The final decision depends upon the budget.
3
depend on + someone + for + thing

Receiving something from someone

Use for before the thing received or needed.

She depends on her sister for advice.
The village depends on tourism for income.
4
it depends on + noun or clause

Giving a conditional answer

Use this pattern when the answer changes according to a situation.

It depends on the weather.
It depends on whether they agree.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
depend on
We depend on volunteers.
Standard and most common way to express reliance.
depend upon
The outcome depends upon timing.
Correct and slightly more formal or literary.
depend for
The company depends on exports for growth.
For introduces what is needed or received, not the person or thing relied on.
depend from
The schedule depends on the weather.
Depend from is generally nonstandard in modern English for this meaning.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using depend for without on

For usually introduces the thing needed after depend on someone or something.

✕ We depend for our neighbours. ✓ We depend on our neighbours for help.

Confusing on and for

On introduces the source of support. For introduces what is received.

✕ She depends for her parents on money. ✓ She depends on her parents for money.

Using depend from for reliance

Modern English normally uses depend on or depend upon.

✕ The project depends from government funding. ✓ The project depends on government funding.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Many students depend ___ online resources.
2. The team depends on its captain ___ guidance.
3. The result depends ___ several small details.

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Frequently asked questions

Is depend upon old-fashioned?

No. Depend upon is still correct, but it sounds more formal than depend on.

Can I say depend for something?

Usually you need on before the person or thing relied on: depend on someone for something.

What is the difference between depend on and rely on?

They are very similar. Rely on can sound slightly stronger or more deliberate in some contexts.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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