Practice
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with D
Sign in to saveA deadline can make you decide quickly. The result may depend on the information you have, how you describe the problem, and whether you develop a workable plan.
Use decide, deadline, depend, describe, and develop in clear B1-level sentences.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
decide, deadline, depend, describe, develop /dɪˈsaɪd/, /ˈdedlaɪn/, /dɪˈpend/, /dɪˈskraɪb/, /dɪˈveləp/
The short answer
Decide means choose; a deadline is the latest time for something; depend means be affected by something; describe means say what something is like; develop means grow, improve, or create over time.
We decided to describe the problem clearly before developing a new plan.
Why it works: The sentence uses decide for a choice, describe for an explanation, and develop for creating or improving a plan.
5 more examples
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After comparing the routes, I decided to take the earlier train.
Decided to is followed by the action that the speaker chose.
Not this:After comparing the routes, I
planned to takethe earlier train. What changes: Planned can show an intention, while decided shows that a choice has been made. -
The deadline for the housing form is Monday morning.
A deadline names the last acceptable time for completing a task.
Not this:
The meetingfor the housing form is Monday morning. What changes: A meeting is an event. A deadline is a time limit. -
The picnic depends on the weather staying dry.
Depend on introduces the condition that affects the picnic.
Not this:The picnic
includesthe weather staying dry. What changes: Includes does not express a condition. Depends on shows that the plan may change. -
Please describe the person you spoke to at the reception desk.
Describe asks for details that help another person understand or identify someone.
Not this:Please
name the personyou spoke to at the reception desk. What changes: Name asks for a name. Describe asks for details such as appearance, clothes, or behavior. -
She developed her presentation skills through regular practice.
Developed means that her skills grew and improved over time.
Not this:She
showed her presentation skillsduring the meeting. What changes: Showed means made skills visible. Developed means built or improved those skills.
Read the full guide
Learn each word with the pattern around it. Decide is often followed by to and a verb. Depend is often followed by on. The other words need a noun or idea that makes their meaning clear.
Decide when you choose
Use decide when someone chooses after considering two or more possibilities. A common pattern is decide to plus a verb.
Nora decided to call the clinic after lunch.
The verb after to names the action Nora chose.
Use deadline for the last possible time
A deadline is the latest time when work must be submitted or finished. It can be a date, a day, or a particular time.
Our deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday.
A deadline is a limit. It is different from an appointment, which is a planned time to meet someone.
Follow depend with on
Use depend on when one result is affected by another thing. The word after on tells you about the condition that matters.
The price depends on how many tickets we buy.
The number of tickets can change the price, so the price depends on that number.
Which preposition follows depend when the weather affects your plans?
Use on: Our plans depend on the weather.
Describe with useful details
Describe means give information about what a person, place, object, or event is like. Choose details that help the listener understand the thing you mean.
Can you describe the jacket that you found?
A color, size, material, or logo would help describe the jacket.
Develop skills, plans, and ideas
Use develop when something grows, improves, or is created gradually. People develop skills and ideas. Projects, stories, and situations can also develop.
The class developed a simple guide for new students.
The guide was created step by step, so develop fits better than a verb for a single quick action.
Before you go
Remember this
Use decide for a choice, deadline for a final time limit, depend on for a condition, describe for details, and develop for gradual growth or improvement. Check the word after each verb to make a natural sentence.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with D"
What does decide mean?
Decide means choose after thinking about possible options. Use decide to before an action, such as decide to travel, or decide between when you are comparing choices.
After comparing the routes, I decided to take the earlier train.
What is a deadline?
A deadline is the latest time when a task must be completed or submitted. A deadline may be a date, a day of the week, or a specific time.
After comparing the routes, I planned to take the earlier train.
Which preposition follows depend?
Use depend on. You can say that a plan depends on the weather, a price depends on demand, or an answer depends on the information available.
The deadline for the housing form is Monday morning.
What does describe mean?
Describe means give details about what a person, object, place, or event is like. Details about appearance, size, color, or behavior can make a description clearer.
The meeting for the housing form is Monday morning.
What does develop mean?
Develop can mean grow, improve, or create something over time. People develop skills, teams develop plans, and a situation can develop as new events happen.
The picnic depends on the weather staying dry.