ENGLISH
REFERENCE

count for

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to be important or have value in a particular situation.

phr. v.. to have importance, value, or influence; often used to describe how much weight a specific factor carries in a final decision or evaluation.


SIMPLE

Your hard work will count for something.

CONTEXTUAL

In this job interview, your previous experience will count for more than your university degree.

COMPLEX

The diplomat's personal rapport with the prime minister counted for little when the two nations reached a stalemate over trade tariffs.

Particles
for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
count + for + object
Usage

usually followed by a quantifier like 'nothing', 'little', 'a lot', or 'something'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'count on' (to rely on) to avoid confusion between these two common phrasal verbs with the same base.

Pitfall

His help counts for a lot of.His help counts for a lot.the phrase 'count for' is followed by a noun or quantifier, not an extra preposition like 'of' unless it is part of a separate phrase.

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