depend greatly on

USAGE SUMMARY

"depend greatly on" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to say that something is affected by something else. For example, "The success of the project will depend greatly on the enthusiasm of the members of the team."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Such theories depend greatly on one assumption: that buyers and sellers are rational and seek to maximize their own incomes and profits.

The New York Times

The accuracy of the first part of the Glaude's statement would depend greatly on how one defines the term "central to black life".

Huffington Post

And clinical approaches to hypertension and diabetes depend greatly on adherence, often to more than one drug.

Global health, science and practice

I suspect one's enjoyment of the proceedings will depend greatly on how comfortable they are with that apportioning.

Huffington Post

The success of future estate regenerations will depend greatly on it being honoured.

The Guardian

Traditional indicators of poverty depend greatly on income and consumption estimates.

The Guardian - Opinion

Your finance costs depend greatly on the situation and your creditworthiness.

The Washington Post

But exactly how Saudi influence plays out seems to depend greatly on local conditions.

The New York Times

Mr Kirchner has little political backing; his authority may depend greatly on his popularity.

The Economist

Whether this backup plan works will depend greatly on the details.

The New York Times

Another revelation is that answers to survey questions depend greatly on how they are phrased.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "depend greatly on", ensure that the sentence clearly indicates both the subject that is dependent and the factor it depends on. This enhances clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "depend greatly on" with overly broad or undefined subjects. For instance, saying "Success depends greatly on effort" is less impactful than specifying, "The success of this marketing campaign depends greatly on the team's coordinated effort".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "depend greatly on" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating a strong causal relationship or reliance. As demonstrated by Ludwig, its usage shows that the outcome or characteristic of one entity is significantly determined by another. For example, 'The success of future estate regenerations will depend greatly on it being honoured.'

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "depend greatly on" is a versatile prepositional phrase used to express a significant degree of reliance or influence. According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts. Its high frequency in news, scientific, and formal business settings underscores its widespread acceptability. When using this phrase, clarity is key: ensure that both the dependent subject and the influencing factor are clearly defined. While alternatives like "rely heavily on" or "hinge significantly on" offer similar meanings, "depend greatly on" provides a strong and direct way to emphasize the critical nature of a dependency.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rely heavily on

Changes the verb to "rely" and emphasizes the degree of dependence with "heavily" instead of "greatly".

be greatly influenced by

Reorders the words slightly to emphasize the influence, maintaining a similar meaning.

hinge significantly on

Uses "hinge" to convey the idea of something being crucial and "significantly" to emphasize importance.

largely rest on

Employs "rest" to suggest a foundation and "largely" to indicate the extent of dependence.

be highly contingent on

Replaces "depend" with "contingent", implying conditionality and "highly" emphasizing the degree.

be substantially influenced by

Shifts the focus to influence and uses "substantially" to denote a considerable effect.

be primarily determined by

Highlights the determining factor and uses "primarily" to show its main influence.

be significantly affected by

Focuses on the effect and emphasizes the degree of impact with "significantly".

be acutely sensitive to

Conveys that something is very responsive or vulnerable to something else.

be extremely subject to

Suggests a high degree of vulnerability or conditionality.

FAQs

How can I use "depend greatly on" in a sentence?

Use "depend greatly on" to show that one thing is significantly influenced or determined by another. For instance, "The project's success will "depend greatly on" the team's commitment".

What are some alternatives to "depend greatly on"?

You can use alternatives such as "rely heavily on", "hinge significantly on", or "be substantially influenced by" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "depend greatly on" or "depend a lot on"?

"Depend greatly on" is generally considered more formal and emphatic than "depend a lot on". The choice depends on the tone and context of your writing.

What's the difference between "depend greatly on" and "rely on"?

"Depend greatly on" emphasizes a significant level of influence or conditionality. While "rely on" can also indicate dependence, it doesn't necessarily imply the same degree of influence. "Depend greatly on" suggests a more critical or substantial reliance.