hand the task to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hand the task to" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that someone is assigning or transferring a responsibility or job to another person. Example: "I will hand the task to Sarah since she has more experience with this type of project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Better, he thinks, to hand the task to the part of the Treasury that supervises thrifts (building societies).

The Economist

Perhaps he really believed that after 10 stressful years leading his fractious party, he could contentedly hand the task to someone else - but it proved to be too much for his mild-mannered successor John Swinney, who gave up after a poor showing in the 2004 European elections.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Cameron handed the task to the ISC though he insisted when he became prime minister in 2010 it should be undertaken by a judge-led inquiry.

The Guardian

But the madrasas remained untouched, mainly because he handed the task to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which was opposed to the plan, according to Javangir Tareen, a former minister in the Musharraf cabinet.

The New York Times

But the madrassas remained untouched, mainly because Mr. Musharraf handed the task to the Ministry of Religious Affairs which was opposed to the plan, according to Jehangir Tareen, a former minister of industries and special projects in the Musharraf cabinet.

The New York Times

Worse still, it will be handing the task to a committee of MPs hand-picked by the prime minister which has consistently missed major scandals involving the security services.

The Guardian

Instead of bringing its power to bear, Washington has gladly handed the task to a motley collection of state and local governments, each enforcing its own rules, often at cross purposes.

The New York Times

When Mr. Bush needed someone to bring President-elect Barack Obama up to speed on every major intelligence program he was about to inherit, including drones and defenses against electronic intrusions from China, he handed the task to Mr. McConnell.

The New York Times

"The question is whether Greek society and the Greek government are really interested in privatization or not," says Mr. Sahl, who advocates handing the task to an outside body that would operate free from Greek political machinations.

The New York Times

I have decided to appoint experienced Giuseppe Iachini as his replacement, handing him the task to lead the team back to Serie A".

The Guardian - Sport

The top American negotiator, Frank E. Loy, visibly tired and rubbing his forehead and eyes, agreed that the effort should continue, even when he and the Clinton administration would be handing over the task to a new administration.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hand the task to" when you want to clearly indicate that someone is assigning a specific job or responsibility to another person or entity. It implies a direct transfer of duty.

Common error

Avoid using "hand the task to" in extremely formal contexts, such as legal documents or high-level business communications, where a more formal verb like "delegate" or "assign" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hand the task to" functions as a phrasal verb construction, specifically indicating the act of assigning or transferring a specific duty or responsibility from one party to another. Ludwig's examples show it used across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hand the task to" is a phrasal verb construction used to describe the assignment or transfer of a duty or responsibility. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While not overly formal, it's suitable for most contexts, especially news and media, and science. For extremely formal settings, consider alternatives like "delegate" or "assign". The limited number of examples suggests it is not as common as some alternatives, but it remains a clear and direct way to express the transfer of responsibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

delegate the responsibility to

Replaces "task" with "responsibility" and uses the formal verb "delegate".

assign the duty to

Substitutes "task" with "duty", implying a more formal obligation.

entrust the mission to

Replaces "task" with "mission", suggesting a more significant assignment.

pass the assignment to

Uses "pass" as a more informal alternative to "hand".

transfer the job to

Replaces "task" with "job", which is more colloquial.

give the undertaking to

Replaces "task" with "undertaking", suggesting a challenging project.

consign the project to

Uses "consign", implying a formal handover of a project.

devolve the work to

Suggests distributing work from a central authority.

turn over the responsibility to

Emphasizes the act of relinquishing responsibility.

charge with the duty

Focuses on formally instructing or ordering someone to do something.

FAQs

What does "hand the task to" mean?

The phrase "hand the task to" means to assign a responsibility or job to someone else. It implies a direct transfer of duty.

What can I say instead of "hand the task to"?

You can use alternatives like "delegate the responsibility to", "assign the duty to", or "entrust the mission to" depending on the context.

Is "hand the task to" formal or informal?

The phrase "hand the task to" is generally considered neutral in formality. It's suitable for most everyday communication but might be less appropriate in highly formal settings.

How can I use "hand the task to" in a sentence?

You can use "hand the task to" in a sentence like: "The manager decided to hand the task to the new intern" or "The CEO handed the task to the department head".