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Lazypierrot - 01 Jul 2009 08:08 GMT

Hi ! Would you please tell me the meaning of the phrasal verb
***account for*** in the following passage?

Factories account for less than 10 percent of the polluting agents of
rivers in the US.

I wonder if it means ***a) to be the cause of something*** or ***b) to
be a part of something***.

Thank you in advance.

LP

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Eric Walker - 01 Jul 2009 10:42 GMT

> Hi ! Would you please tell me the meaning of the phrasal verb
> ***account for*** in the following passage?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> I wonder if it means ***a) to be the cause of something*** or ***b) to
> be a part of something***.

It means to be responsible for: in effect, "Factories are responsible for
less than 10 percent of the polluting agents of rivers in the US."

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Cordially,
Eric Walker, Owlcroft House
http://owlcroft.com/english/

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John Varela - 01 Jul 2009 17:12 GMT

> > Hi ! Would you please tell me the meaning of the phrasal verb
> > ***account for*** in the following passage?
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> It means to be responsible for: in effect, "Factories are responsible for
> less than 10 percent of the polluting agents of rivers in the US."

Shouldn't that be *in* rivers?

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John Varela
Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email

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Lazypierrot - 01 Jul 2009 20:50 GMT

I Thank both of you, very much, Eric and John. I should have written
as follows;

Factories account for less than 10 percent of the polluting agents
***in*** rivers in the US.

I would further like to know how you distinguish between the two
meanings of ***account for***,

a) to be the cause of something

b) to be a part of something

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Lazypierrot - 01 Jul 2009 21:05 GMT

Oh, I have forgot to make a correction;

a) to be responsible for something

b) to be a part of something

LP

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Eric Walker - 02 Jul 2009 00:03 GMT

> I would further like to know how you distinguish between the two
> meanings of ***account for***,
>
> a) to be responsible for something
>
> b) to be a part of something

By context, I suppose. My desk dictionary gives several senses for the
word "account" when used with "for":

1. to make satisfactory amends for [he will account for his crime]

2. to give satisfactory reasons or an explanation for [can he account for
his actions?]

3. to be the cause, agent, or source of

4. to do away with as by killing [he accounted for five of the enemy]

I'd say senses 1 and 4 are relatively infrequent uses (especially 1), but
in all events, context must indicate which sense is meant.

Signature

Cordially,
Eric Walker, Owlcroft House
http://owlcroft.com/english/

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Lazypierrot - 02 Jul 2009 11:46 GMT

I appreciate your kind comments.

LP

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

account for