Everyday phrases for communication — Post 22
Read post 21 here
Today’s mini-dialogue:
— Can I count on you?
— It depends on what’s in it for me.
What you need to remember:
- If you expect something to happen or somebody to do something, you can use these three verbs in English:
count on somebody / something
rely on somebody
trust somebody / that…
— I count on your help. = I am relying on you. = I trust you will help me.
— You can count on me. = You can rely on me. = You can trust me.
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 is used in a wider range of situations and can mean ‘you can be sure (something will happen)’. But when we talk about expecting something from people, these three verbs can de used interchangeably.
2. The verb 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 is used with preposition ON saying that one thing is changed because of the other thing or connected with it. It is sometimes mistakenly used with preposition OF — this is not correct.
Please remember depend ON as a set expression.
Also, it’s worth remembering a set expression 𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 meaning ‘the result of something can be different and you don’t know for sure’.
— Can I count on you?
— It depends. (=Maybe. We’ll see how it goes)
3. If you want to know if the situation will be profitable for you in any way, you could ask:
— What’s in it for me?
It’s highly informal and may sound a bit rude, so only use it with close friends or members of the family.
Possible answers to this question:
— I’ll owe you.
— I’ll owe you one.
— I’ll owe you big time.
They all mean ‘You can ask for something from me in the future’. Owe = be in debt, to have to pay somebody for something (money or favour) provided earlier.
Today we have learnt some expressions with verbs and prepositions. We’ve also found out how to informally ask about your profit in a situation and promise future favours.
If you speak Russian, you can read these lessons in Russian (and practise) in my Telegram channel. Join us!
My name is Daria Storozhilova and this is a series of mini-lessons teaching you helpful phrases and spoken expressions for communicating in English.
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