account for — explain the reason for something (often in formal or analytical contexts)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
to give an explanation or justification for why something has happened, especially when analyzing causes or results.
Say it like a native
Textbook How do you explain the reason for the sudden drop in profits?
Native How do you account for the sudden drop in profits?
'Account for' is the analytical verb for explaining a cause; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: account for + noun/amount/event
In use
- The manager was unable to account for the sudden drop in sales last quarter.education
- In my opinion, several factors account for the rise in obesity rates, including changes in diet and lifestyle.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ How do you account the difference?
✓ How do you account for the difference?
'Account FOR' — don't drop 'for'. (Bare 'account' is a record or report.)
Common collocations
account for + result— the difference, the rise, the gap, it
Don't confuse it
At B1/B2, learners may know 'account for' as 'make up a part of' (e.g. 'Women account for 60% of the staff'). This C1 sense is about explaining the reason for something, not just describing proportions.