grammar · neutral
be responsible for + noun / V-ing
used to say that someone or something has a duty for or is the cause of something
Examples
“Teachers are responsible for assessing student progress.”
“Poor maintenance is responsible for many accidents.”
“He is responsible for making the final decision.”
Band 8 sentence
“Local authorities are primarily responsible for implementing the new environmental regulations and monitoring compliance across industries.”
Collocations
- be directly responsible for
- be responsible for + V-ing
- be responsible for + noun
Common mistakes
responsible to + noun when meaning 'for'→responsible for + noun
omit 'be' → 'He responsible for...'→He is responsible for...
Say it for a higher band
5in charge of→6be in charge of / be responsible to→7+be responsible for + noun / V-ing
Synonyms
be in charge of
Easily confused
responsible for vs responsible to
“Managers are responsible to the board for company performance.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In The passive
Learn it with its set