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ENGLISH VERB

account

explain, justify (account for)

  • Regular verb
  • Gerund: accounting
  • Past participle: accounted

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I explain
  2. you you explain
  3. he, she, it he explains
  4. we we explain
  5. they they explain

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I explained
  2. you you explained
  3. he, she, it he explained
  4. we we explain
  5. they they explained

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will explain
  2. you you will explain
  3. he, she, it he will explain
  4. we we will explain
  5. they they will explain

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am explaining
  2. you you are explaining
  3. he, she, it he is explaining
  4. we we are explaining
  5. they they are explaining

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already explained
  2. you you have already explained
  3. he, she, it he has already explained
  4. we we have already explained
  5. they they have already explained

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would explain
  2. you you would explain
  3. he, she, it he would explain
  4. we we would explain
  5. they they would explain

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. explain!

How to use account

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    The holidays account for most of the drop in sales.

    Holidays account for most of the drop in sales.

  2. Past

    The rain accounted for the empty tables last night.

    The rain accounted for the empty tables last night.

  3. Future

    We will account for every dollar in the report.

    We'll account for every dollar in the report.

  4. Present continuous

    The teachers are still accounting for all the kids.

    The teachers are still accounting for all the children.

  5. Present perfect

    Nobody has accounted for the missing chairs yet.

    No one has accounted for the missing chairs yet.

  6. Conditional

    That would account for the strange noise in the car.

    That would account for the strange noise in the car.

  7. Imperative

    Account for the traffic when you plan the trip.

    Account for traffic when planning the trip.

Good to know

  • Quase sempre com "for": "account for" is to explain or justify a difference, and also to take into account.
  • "Account" is also the bank account or an account on a website: "my bank account", "create an account".

Where you hear account

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 2

  • A different time of day accounts for the difference. A different time of day accounts for the difference.
  • The holiday accounted for the drop. The holiday explained the drop.
  • We'll have to account for the heat in July. We'll have to account for the heat in July.

English for Brazilians · Fluency Level 1

  • A different time of day accounts for the difference. A different time of day accounts for the difference.
  • The holiday accounted for the drop. The holiday explained the drop.
  • We'll have to account for the heat in July. We'll have to account for the heat in July.
7
The time of day changes the result

Advanced Level 2 · may account for · That may account for the eleven. · That may account for some of it. Not all of it.

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Two versions of the same day

Fluency Level 1 · Both accounts agree that there was a cake.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular verb.