accounting

/əˈkaʊntɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈkaʊntɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈkau̇n-tiŋ/ (ame, mw)

accounting — noun

1. the practice of writing down, organizing, and checking the amounts of money that

1.名詞B2
釋義

the practice of writing down, organizing, and checking the amounts of money that flow into and out of a business or person, so that the financial picture can be understood.

例句

Ines is studying accounting because she wants to manage a small bakery one day.

studying + accounting (uncountable, no article)

Good accounting helped the charity prove that every donation reached the children.

good / careful / honest accounting collocations

同義詞
  • bookkeeping

    narrower; only the daily recording, without analysis or reporting

  • auditing

    checking that accounts are correct, often by an outside party

  • finance

    broader; covers planning and managing money, not only recording it

文法句型

accounting + for + something

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable; do not say 'an accounting' for the activity. Distinguish from sense 2 (the profession) by checking whether the sentence is about the work itself or about a person's career path.

常見錯誤

❌I am learning an accounting at college.
✅I am learning accounting at college.
💡accounting as an activity is uncountable, so no 'a/an'.
❌He works in accountings for a hotel.
✅He works in accounting for a hotel.
💡there is no plural form when it means the activity.

2. the paid work of an accountant — that is, doing the recording and checking of mo

2.名詞B2
釋義

the paid work of an accountant — that is, doing the recording and checking of money for companies, families, or governments as one's main career.

例句

After ten years in accounting, Daniel opened his own office near the train station.

in accounting (career field)

Mei's parents pushed her toward accounting, but she really wanted to be a chef.

career-path collocation

同義詞
  • bookkeeping

    lower-skilled work, often without a professional licence

  • auditing

    a specialised branch of accounting that focuses on checking other people's records

文法句型

work in accounting

a career in accounting

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person's career or field of study, not a single task. Distinguish from sense 1: if you can replace the word with 'the accountant profession' or 'becoming an accountant', this sense fits.

常見錯誤

❌She is an accounting at the bank.
✅She is an accountant at the bank.
💡the person is an 'accountant'; 'accounting' is the field, not the worker.
❌He has a job of accounting.
✅He has a job in accounting.
💡the natural preposition is 'in', not 'of'.