Bobby4781360
New member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
Hi ,I had a question .Would you please compare the meanings of the phrase "account for" in the examples follow :
1) Water accounts for 90% of the whole body.
2)Jane was upset because her son couldn't account for the three hours between his last class and his arrival at home
3)The heat wave accounts for all this food spoilage.
4)A large number of UN personnel in Haiti are unaccounted for .
As I looked that up in the dictionary.com I could only find two meanings for account for : 1)Explain (matches with example # 2)
2)cause ( matches with example # 3)
I do appreciate for productive replies in advance.
1) Water accounts for 90% of the whole body.
2)Jane was upset because her son couldn't account for the three hours between his last class and his arrival at home
3)The heat wave accounts for all this food spoilage.
4)A large number of UN personnel in Haiti are unaccounted for .
As I looked that up in the dictionary.com I could only find two meanings for account for : 1)Explain (matches with example # 2)
2)cause ( matches with example # 3)
I do appreciate for productive replies in advance.