ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bear on

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to be connected to or have an effect on a situation.

phr. v.. to be relevant to or have a direct influence on a matter under consideration; often used in formal or legal contexts.


SIMPLE

These new facts bear on the case.

CONTEXTUAL

The judge ruled that the witness's personal history did not bear on the current trial.

COMPLEX

The committee must determine how these international trade regulations bear on the domestic manufacturing sector before drafting the final report.

Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bear + on + object
Usage

usually used in the present tense and followed by a noun representing a topic or decision.

Teaching tip

this is a formal alternative to 'relate to' or 'affect'; it is frequently found in academic writing and formal debates.

Pitfall

This evidence bears to the problem.This evidence bears on the problem.the verb 'bear' requires the preposition 'on' to mean relevance; 'to' is incorrect in this context.

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