grammar · neutral

be accused of + V-ing

Band 5-6task2speaking

Passive of 'accuse': someone is charged or blamed for doing something.

Examples

“He was accused of stealing office supplies.”

“The company was accused of polluting the river.”

“Several officials were accused of accepting bribes.”

Band 8 sentence

“Several cabinet ministers were accused of mishandling public funds, prompting an independent inquiry into procurement procedures.”

Collocations

  • be accused of stealing
  • be accused of corruption
  • be wrongly accused of

Common mistakes

accused for + V-ing→accused of + V-ing

was accused to + V→was accused of + V-ing

Say it for a higher band

5accused for→6accused of→7+be accused of + V-ing

Synonyms

be charged with + noun/V-ing

Easily confused

be charged with + V-ing

“The suspect was charged with fraud following the investigation.”

Related words

had been + past participlebe + past participleto have been + past participlebe used to + Vbe + past participle + by + agentnoun + past participle (reduced relative clause)be seen as + noun / adjectivehave/has been + past participle

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In The passive

Learn it with its set