Phrasal verb
account for sth
Definition
phrasal verb. to explain the reason for something or to be the cause of a specific amount.
phrasal verb. to provide a satisfactory explanation for an event or situation; to constitute a particular proportion or amount of a whole.
Examples
“The bad weather accounts for the flight delays.”
“Electronic goods account for over half of the company's total exports this year.”
“The defense attorney struggled to account for the defendant's whereabouts during the critical hours when the crime was committed.”
Examples
simple
“The bad weather accounts for the flight delays.”
contextual
“Electronic goods account for over half of the company's total exports this year.”
complex
“The defense attorney struggled to account for the defendant's whereabouts during the critical hours when the crime was committed.”
Usage
always followed by the preposition 'for' and a noun or noun phrase.
Teaching tip
distinguish between the 'explain' sense and the 'percentage' sense; the latter is very common in academic writing and business reports.
Pitfall
The rain accounts the accident.
The rain accounts for the accident.
the verb 'account' requires the particle 'for' to connect to its object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
account + for + object