It depends | English phrases

Read the piece of conversation given below.

First speaker: What do you do?

Second speaker: I am a salesman.

First speaker: Where do you work?

Second speaker: I work at a marketing company in Pune.

First speaker: Do you like your job?

Second speaker: Of course, I do.

First speaker: What do you like about your job?

Second speaker: Well, I get to interact with lots of interesting people.

First speaker: Do you think that salesmen are well-paid?

Second speaker: That depends. Some salesmen are well-paid, some aren’t. If you can meet your targets, you’ll make good money.

Notes

The expression it depends / that depends is used when you cannot give a definite yes or no answer to a question. Look at the sentences given below.

‘Would you like to go for a walk in the evening?’‘It depends. If it is sunny, I’d like to. If it is rainy, I’d rather stay inside.’

‘Do you study hard?’‘It depends on the subject I’m studying. If I like the subject, I study hard. If I don’t like the subject, I don’t really study hard.’

‘Do you want to sell your car?’ That depends on the price you’re willing to offer. If you offer a good price, I wouldn’t mind selling the car.’