Grammar help please?

Question

Hi,Could you please check for me if I have used these words and sentences correctly?The differences between "subject to" "depend on" are formal and informal. Both mean "be decided by" in this sense?1)This patient is ready for surgery. As now he is subject to / is depended on the status of anesthesia. (Both are adjective)2) Mr ___ is ready for blood transfusion. He is now subject to / depended on availability of his blood type.The other meaning of "depend on" is a trust. I wonder in daily conversation, do you guys actually use it in these ways. Or just say "trust" to avoid a confusion?1) We can depend (trust) on this blood test.2) Mr___ life is depending (trust) on this diagnosis.3) We can't depend (trust) on surgery finishing on time. Why don't you just wait for my call.4) We can't depend (trust) on bus arriving on time.Do you guys actually use this word" dichotomy"? Or just a word in dictionaries?This book discusses a difference / dichotomy between healthy and unhealthy diet.There is always a difference / dichotomy between a real situation and a procedure. There was the slightly difference / dichotomy between what Dr___ said and did on his surgery. Of course it is understandable in the real action.Thanks in advance.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

John Akisubject to

I don't think you've understood the true meaning of this expression.

It can be used to draw your attention to something, to caution you in some way. It frequently adds the sense of 'may', 'might', or 'must' to the sentence. Sometimes it's like "depend on", but not always.

Previous year estimates are subject to revision.
= Attention: The estimates we have shown you may change. We may have to revise our estimates for previous years.

The company takeover is subject to authorization by the Securities Commission.
= Note: The company has not yet been taken over. The Securities Commission must authorize the company takeover before it can happen.

Even little zippy cars are subject to overturn when accelerating at high speeds.
= When accelerating at high speeds, even little zippy cars might overturn.

Transfusions [are subject to / depend on] the availability of the required blood type.
= Note: We might not be able to perform the transfusion if the right blood type is not available.

CJ

I will comment on your other questions in separate posts.

CalifJim · Answer

John Aki
The other meaning of "depend on" is a trust. I wonder in daily conversation, do you guys actually use it in these ways. Or just say "trust" to avoid a confusion? We use both.
1) We can depend (trust) on this blood test.
2) Mr___ life is depending (trust) on this diagnosis.
3) We can't depend (trust) on surgery finishing on time. Why don't you just wait for my call.
4) We can't depend (trust) on bus arriving on time.

We can depend on this blood test. / We can trust this blood test.

His life depends on this treatment. (Not 'trust' here.)
I've never heard of a case where a life depends on a diagnosis. I'm not sure what you intend to say here. (This one is more like 'is subject to'.)

We can't depend on surgery finishing on time. Why don't you just wait for my call? (Not 'trust' here.)

We can't depend on the bus arriving on time. (Not 'trust' here.)

Generally speaking we don't talk about 'trusting (an event)' (like finishing on time or arriving on time). We trust a person or, less often, a procedure (like a blood test).

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

John Aki
Do you guys actually use this word" dichotomy"? Or just a word in dictionaries? I have used it, but only rarely. To my ear it seems more like a scientific term, or something from mathematical logic.
This book discusses the difference / dichotomy between healthy and unhealthy diet.
There is always a difference / dichotomy between a real situation and a procedure.
There was ~~the slightly~~ a slight difference ~~/ dichotomy~~ between what Dr___ said and did on his surgery. Of course it is understandable in the real action. You can't have a slight dichotomy. A dichotomy is a strict division into two categories.

I think you are misunderstanding something. 'dichotomy' is not the same as 'difference'. You have a dichotomy when you have only two categories, and everything that you are classifying must belong into one, and only one, of those two categories.

For example, there is a dichotomy between even numbers and odd numbers. No matter which number you classify, it must be even or odd, and it can never be both. Either it goes in the class with 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, ... or it goes in the class with 2, 4, 6, 8, ....

The dichotomy between field and lab studies poses a challenge for neuroethology.
I have noticed a marked dichotomy in worldviews between Fox viewers and non-Fox viewers.
There is clearly a dichotomy between a corporate-driven scenario and a community-driven scenario.

People sometimes structure their arguments around a dichotomy that they themselves propose. When others disagree, they speak in terms of "a false dichotomy", so you should also be aware of this expression.

a false dichotomy between motherhood and feminism
the false dichotomy between art and entertainment
the false dichotomy between self-interest and caring for others

These three claims of false dichotomy say that a person can be a mother and a feminist, that art can be entertaining and entertainment can be artistic, and that looking out for yourself does not mean you don't care about others.

CJ

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