Phrasal verb
decide upon
Definition
phrasal verb. to choose something after thinking about it carefully for a while.
phrasal verb. to select or settle on a particular option from a range of possibilities; often implies a period of deliberation or a formal conclusion.
Examples
“We finally decided upon a date for the wedding.”
“After reviewing all the applications, the committee decided upon the most experienced candidate for the role.”
“The council has yet to decide upon a strategy that balances economic growth with environmental preservation.”
Examples
simple
“We finally decided upon a date for the wedding.”
contextual
“After reviewing all the applications, the committee decided upon the most experienced candidate for the role.”
complex
“The council has yet to decide upon a strategy that balances economic growth with environmental preservation.”
Usage
more formal than 'decide on' and much more formal than just 'choose'.
Teaching tip
point out that 'upon' is a formal variant of 'on'; in most spoken contexts, students should use 'decide on' to avoid sounding overly stiff.
Pitfall
They decided upon to go to Italy.
They decided to go to Italy.
do not use 'upon' before an infinitive verb; it must be followed by a noun or a gerund.
Phrasal verb
Particles
upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
decide + upon + object