Responsibility: duties and accountability

The idea

Say responsibility for a task or action, and take responsibility for a mistake. Count individual duties as responsibilities.

Examples

• The team shares responsibility for safety.
• My responsibility is to water the plants.
• The manager took responsibility for the mistake.
• Parents have many responsibilities at home.
• Who has responsibility for the keys?
• We accepted responsibility for cleaning the hall.

Watch out

Do not use responsibility of in place of responsibility for when naming the task someone must handle.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct word. The volunteers share responsibility ___ the garden. (for / of)

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   for

   for introduces the garden as the thing entrusted to the volunteers.

2. Choose the correct word. I made the error, so I will ___ responsibility. (take / do)

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   take

   take expresses accepting accountability for the error.

3. Choose the correct word. The new role has several ___. (responsibilities / responsibility)

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   responsibilities

   responsibilities counts the separate duties of the role.

Use it today

Describe a duty you share and a mistake someone could take responsibility for.