ENGLISH
REFERENCE

count upon

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to rely on someone or something, especially when you need help or expect a specific result.

phr. v.. to depend on or place trust in a person, entity, or outcome with the expectation of support or fulfillment.


SIMPLE

You can always count upon your family for support.

CONTEXTUAL

The team is counting upon a victory in tonight's game to stay in the tournament.

COMPLEX

In times of economic instability, investors often count upon gold as a reliable hedge against inflation.

Particles
upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
count + upon + object
Usage

more formal than 'count on' but used in the same way with a following object.

Teaching tip

point out that 'count upon' and 'count on' are interchangeable, though 'upon' is less common in casual conversation and more frequent in writing.

Pitfall

I count upon that you will help.I count upon you to help.this phrase usually takes a noun or a person + infinitive rather than a 'that' clause.

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