Does "rely upon" mean the same as "rely on"?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question! Yes, "rely on" and "rely upon" mean the same thing. In general usage, "upon" appears to be a little more formal and is used more often to refer to non-living things, whereas "on" is slightly more casual and is used most often to talk about depending on another person. "Rely on" is more commonly used than "rely upon" is and can be used in most situations. Ex: I relied a lot on my parents' help during school. Ex: You can't rely on your friends all the time. Sometimes you have to learn to do things alone. Ex: The health of the economy relies upon a variety of different factors.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

12/29

1
What's the main difference between a "rubbish", a "trash" and a "garbage?"
They all mean the same thing when it comes to disposed waste! The difference is the places they are used. "Trash" and "garbage" is considered North American, and "rubbish" is considered British English. So depending on where you are, you will hear one more than the other. Ex: Can you take the trash out? = Can you take the garbage out? = Can you take the rubbish out?

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3
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"Getting to" here means reaching, striving for, or to attempt to make. This phrase can be used when trying to reach a certain point in something you are telling someone. He uses present progressive form here to indicate that he has almost succeeded in reaching or asking the question, but at the time of when he says "getting to", he has not yet asked the question. Ex: "Have you washed the dishes?" "I'm getting to them." Ex: The point he's getting to is in his speech is that you don't have to have money to follow your dreams.

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Generally, native English speakers call toys that are animals filled with soft material "stuffed animals", and toys that resemble a human "dolls". "Stuffed animals" is a general expression and commonly used.

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