account for

IPA/ɐkˈaʊnt fɔː/
IPA/ɐkˈaʊnt fɔːɹ/

account for — phrasal verb

  • account forbase form
  • accounts for3rd person singular
  • accounting for-ing form
  • accounted forpast simple

1. to represent a specific quantity or share within a larger figure, especially whe

1.片語動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to represent a specific quantity or share within a larger figure, especially when stated as a percentage or fraction.

例句

Students from East Asia account for nearly forty percent of the university's international enrollment.

account for + percentage

In many households, housing costs account for over a third of monthly expenses.

同義詞
  • make up

    more informal, common in everyday speech

  • constitute

    more formal, used in academic or legal writing

  • comprise

    formal, often used when listing all parts of a whole

文法句型

[noun] account(s) for [amount/percentage] of [total]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a type of thing or category, and the object names the larger whole. Frequently used with percentages, fractions, or phrases like 'most of' and 'a large part of'.

常見錯誤

❌The report accounts for the missing data' (when meaning 'explains').
✅Online advertising accounts for 70% of our marketing budget.
💡This sense is about forming a total, not about explaining something.

2. to be the reason why something happens or exists, explaining a direct cause-and-

2.片語動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to be the reason why something happens or exists, explaining a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

例句

The heavy rain accounted for the long delay in the construction project.

account for + direct cause

Kofi's careful preparation accounted for his excellent results on the final exam.

同義詞
  • explain

    broader — can mean 'give an account of' or 'be the reason for'; account for is more precise for causality

  • cause

    more direct, less common in formal reasoning contexts

  • be responsible for

    more common with people as subjects; account for works with abstract subjects

文法句型

[reason] account(s) for [result]

用法筆記

Subject is the cause or contributing factor; the object is the result or outcome. Never use this sense in the passive voice ('The delay was accounted for by…' is Sense 3, not Sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌The teacher accounted for the students' confusion.' (sounds like Sense 3 — giving an explanation).
✅The confusing instructions accounted for the students' confusion.
💡The subject must be the actual cause, not a person giving an explanation.

3. to give a clear and usually truthful explanation of your actions, decisions, or

3.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to give a clear and usually truthful explanation of your actions, decisions, or the way money or resources were used, especially when this is required by someone in authority.

例句

The project manager had to account for the missing equipment at the weekly staff meeting.

must/have to + account for

The teenager could not account for the large amount of cash found in her schoolbag.

can/could not + account for — unable to explain

同義詞
  • explain

    less formal, does not carry the same sense of obligation or authority

  • justify

    stronger connotation of defending a decision; more formal

  • answer for

    stronger sense of taking responsibility, especially for mistakes

文法句型

[person] account(s) for [action/decision/money]

用法筆記

Subject is always a person or organization that is expected to provide an explanation. Frequently appears with 'must', 'have to', 'need to', 'could not' to express obligation or inability. This is the only sense that takes 'to' + noun (to account for something to someone).

常見錯誤

❌The weather accounted for the cancellation.' (should be Sense 2 if weather is the cause).
✅The event organizer had to account for the cancellation to the ticket holders.
💡If a person is providing an explanation, use Sense 3.