Phrasal verb
decide on sth
Definition
phrasal verb. to choose one thing from a list of many possibilities after thinking about it carefully.
phrasal verb. to select a specific option or course of action from a range of alternatives, typically following a period of deliberation.
Examples
“We finally decided on the blue car.”
“After looking at several different menus, they decided on the Italian restaurant for their anniversary dinner.”
“The committee spent several hours debating the budget before they finally decided on a strategy that satisfied all stakeholders.”
Examples
simple
“We finally decided on the blue car.”
contextual
“After looking at several different menus, they decided on the Italian restaurant for their anniversary dinner.”
complex
“The committee spent several hours debating the budget before they finally decided on a strategy that satisfied all stakeholders.”
Usage
the object is usually a noun or a gerund representing the final choice made.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'decide to' (followed by a verb) to show that 'decide on' focuses on the selection of a specific noun or option.
Pitfall
We decided on go to Spain.
We decided on going to Spain.
the preposition 'on' must be followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form), not a base verb.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
decide + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/decide-on-sth