(depends, depending, depended)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you say that one thing depends on another, you mean that the first thing will be affected or determined by the second.
The cooking time needed depends on the size of the potato...
How much it costs depends upon how much you buy.
VERB: V on/upon n, V on/upon wh
2.
If you depend on someone or something, you need them in order to be able to survive physically, financially, or emotionally.
He depended on his writing for his income...
Choosing the right account depends on working out your likely average balance.
= rely
VERB: V on/upon n/-ing, V on/upon n/-ing
3.
If you can depend on a person, organization, or law, you know that they will support you or help you when you need them.
'You can depend on me,' Cross assured him.
= rely
VERB: V on/upon n
4.
You use depend in expressions such as it depends to indicate that you cannot give a clear answer to a question because the answer will be affected or determined by other factors.
'But how long can you stay in the house?'-'I don't know. It depends.'...
It all depends on your definition of punk, doesn't it?
VERB: it/that V, it V on n/wh
5.
You use depending on when you are saying that something varies according to the circumstances mentioned.
I tend to have a different answer, depending on the family...
PREP-PHRASE: PREP n/wh