which accounted for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "which accounted for" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to explain the reason or cause behind a particular outcome or situation. Example: "The increase in sales during the holiday season was significant, which accounted for a large portion of the company's annual revenue."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Tourism, which accounted for 7% of GDP, has collapsed.

The Economist

Most injurious were homemade bombs, which accounted for 967 deaths.

The New York Times

The largest losses were illicit financial flows, which accounted for $634bn in 2011.

The Guardian

But Holik's line was matched against Jagr's, which accounted for both Capitals goals.

The New York Times - Sports

That category includes telecommunications and broadcasting companies, which accounted for $80.1 billion of the total.

The New York Times

That compares to the free-of-charge market leader Plentyoffish, which accounted for 18% in July.

The Guardian - Business

Men are mainly concerned with misleading ads, which accounted for 64% of total complaints.

The Guardian

Its closest rival is Machinima, which accounted for 17 of the top 100 in September.

The Guardian - Tech

Under shopping (which accounted for 8percentt of our spending), I found a comforting surprise.

The New York Times

Apparently Cox had stopped taking his hard-won medicine, which accounted for his rapid demise.

The Guardian

The five worst, which accounted for one-third of India's population, scored 1.5 or less.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "which accounted for", ensure the noun preceding "which" clearly identifies the element contributing to the specified amount or proportion. For clarity, avoid ambiguity in the antecedent.

Common error

Avoid assuming direct causation when using "which accounted for". The phrase indicates a portion or share, not necessarily a direct cause-and-effect relationship. For example, claiming "increased marketing, which accounted for higher sales", might be an oversimplification if other factors also contributed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "which accounted for" functions as a nonrestrictive relative clause. It modifies a preceding noun phrase by providing additional, non-essential information about the proportion or contribution of that noun phrase. Ludwig confirms its proper usage in providing explanatory context.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

42%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "which accounted for" is a versatile phrase functioning as a nonrestrictive relative clause to explain the proportion or contribution of something. Ludwig confirms its proper usage in a vast number of examples. It sees widespread application across News & Media, scientific research, and formal business, demonstrating its general applicability. Although versatile, it's important to use the phrase ensuring that you don't imply a causation when only a proportional relationship exists. This guide has provided insights into its usage, alternatives, and common pitfalls to avoid to ensure accurate and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

which was responsible for

Replaces "accounted for" with a more direct expression of responsibility or causation.

which contributed to

Indicates a contributing factor rather than a sole cause.

which constituted

Emphasizes the composition or formation of something.

which made up

Focuses on the components of a whole.

which comprised

Similar to "constituted" but can imply a more formal arrangement.

which represented

Highlights the proportion or share of a whole.

which explained

Highlights the capacity to clarify the origin of something.

which determined

Indicates that the phrase had a decisive role in a specific outcome.

that was attributed to

Used when assigning a characteristic or feature to an object or person.

which resulted from

Indicates what originated as an effect of the action indicated in the main query.

FAQs

How can I use "which accounted for" in a sentence?

Use "which accounted for" to describe what portion or percentage something represents. For instance, "Tourism, "which accounted for" 7% of GDP, has collapsed" shows tourism's contribution to the GDP.

What are some alternatives to the phrase "which accounted for"?

You can use alternatives like "which contributed to", "which represented", or "which was responsible for" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between "which accounted for" and "that accounted for"?

"Which accounted for" introduces a nonrestrictive clause, adding extra information. "That accounted for" would introduce a restrictive clause, essential to the sentence's meaning. Using "which" implies the information is supplementary, while "that" implies it's crucial to understanding the noun it modifies.

Can "which accounted for" imply causation?

"Which accounted for" indicates a proportional relationship, not necessarily direct causation. While it can suggest influence, avoid implying sole causality unless supported by other evidence. Other contributing factors can affect the same event.