phrasal verb / prepositional verb · academic
contribute to
UK/kənˈtrɪb.juːt tuː/US/kənˈtrɪb.juːt tu/con·TRIB·ute·to
to help to cause something; to be one of the reasons for something
Examples
“Air pollution contributes to respiratory illnesses in many cities.”
“Lack of funding contributed to the project's failure.”
“Diet and lifestyle both contribute to heart disease risk.”
Band 8 sentence
“Multiple factors, including urban sprawl and increased car ownership, have contributed to the city's persistent congestion problems.”
Collocations
- contribute to climate change
- contribute to the problem
Word family
Common mistakes
contribute to improve→contribute to improving
contribute on→contribute to
Say it for a higher band
5help→6play a role in→7+contribute to
Synonyms
play a part in
add to
Easily confused
play a part in
“Poor infrastructure plays a part in the city's traffic congestion.”
Related words
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In Cause & effect
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