Word
be responsible for
Definition
fixed phrase. to have the duty of taking care of something or someone; also, to be the cause of something happening.
fixed phrase. to have control over or care of something as a duty; additionally, to be the primary cause or agent of a specific outcome. The phrase functions as an adjective phrase following the copula 'be'.
Examples
“You are responsible for keeping your room clean.”
“As the project manager, she is responsible for making sure the team meets every deadline.”
“The heavy rainfall was largely responsible for the sudden collapse of the ancient stone bridge.”
Examples
simple
“You are responsible for keeping your room clean.”
contextual
“As the project manager, she is responsible for making sure the team meets every deadline.”
complex
“The heavy rainfall was largely responsible for the sudden collapse of the ancient stone bridge.”
Usage
always followed by the preposition 'for' and a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
Teaching tip
distinguish between the 'duty' sense and the 'cause' sense; learners often forget that 'responsible' can describe the reason for a negative event without implying a moral duty.
Pitfall
He is responsible of the marketing department.
He is responsible for the marketing department.
the adjective 'responsible' collocations with the preposition 'for', not 'of'.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/be-responsible-for