Depend/rely on

Question

-England’s prosperity depends entirely on its people’s industry.
-England’s prosperity relies entirely on its people’s industry.

Are they both correct and equally so? Is it common to use rely when the subject of the sentence is not a person or organization?

Ivanhr · Accepted Answer

I would use only depend in your example.

OttoJo use rely when the subject of the sentence is not a person or organization?

Offhand, I can't think of any such sentence.

OttoJ · Answer

Thank you for the reply. What's your first language? UK or US English?

A long time ago my teacher from somewhere I don't know gave us two sentences

-It's prosperity relies heavily on foreign business.
-30% of your grade relies on your essay.

Do you think they are wrong? (I don't know whether a native wrote them.)

Mister Micawber · Answer

OttoJ-Its prosperity relies heavily on foreign business.-30% of your grade relies on your essay.

Those sound unremarkable to me. Here are some reputable examples:

The budget also relies on ending tax breaks for oil, gas and coal companies
The damage brought to mind one of those hard-rubber change purses that relies on surface tension
The rear triangle relies on thin, flattened seatstays and a 27.2mm seatpost
His commercial operation relies on gravity-fed plastic tubing to move sap from the maples
The program offers one teen trip and one for adults and relies on grants and donations.
The Aleutian's fit is tapered, and it relies on synthetic hollow-core polyester fibers
The Japanese warning system relies not only on tsunameters but also on seismometers
But an equally compelling reason relies on a new understanding of the economics of taxation

Depend/rely on

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