Below you will find two examples and then the meaning of the phrasal verb 'rely on' which you are likely to find used in the Cambridge Advanced exam.
In order to remember this use, make sure to make an example in your own words with the phrasal verb.
Examples
"Do you think we can RELY ON him to finish painting the flat by tomorrow?"
"I think we can. He has a reputation for not only doing a good job, but also finishing when he says he will."
"Pete says that he will come and help us move house on Saturday."
"He is a nice guy, but we can't RELY ON him to help us. In my experience, half the time he doesn't do what he says he will."
Meaning
To say that you can trust/be sure that somebody or something will do something.
Click here to watch a YouTube video on this meaning of the phrasal verb
Another Meaning
To learn another meaning of 'rely on' which you could see used in the exam, watch the below YouTube video:
Video of another meaning of 'rely on'
Return to the list of 50 commonly phrasal verbs in the CAE exam.