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What is Accuse in English? Does Accuse go with “to V” or “V-ing”?

What is Accuse in English? Perhaps for many of you, this verb seems quite unfamiliar. However, if you delve deeper into English vocabulary, you will encounter the word Accuse many times. So what is the usage of Accuse in English? What preposition does Accuse use with? Let's find the answers together with PREP below!

I. What is Accuse in English?
1. 1. Definition
2. 2. Word Family
II. Common usages of Accuse in English
III. Synonymous words/phrases of Accuse in English
IV. Distinguishing between Accuse and Blame
V. Exercises on Accuse in English with answers
1. 1. Exercises
2. 2. Answer
VI. Crack the IELTS Exam With Confidence

I. What is Accuse in English?

First, let's find out with PREP the definition and Word family of Accuse in English!

1. Definition

What is Accuse in English? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Accuse functions as a verb in a sentence, meaning: to say that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind, to say that someone is responsible for a crime or for having done something wrong. For example:

"It wasn't his fault". "Don't worry, no one is accusing him."
Tom has been accused of robbery.

2. Word Family

Word Family	Meaning	Example
Accuser (noun)	a person who claims that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind	Ms.Liz was given the opportunity to face her accusers.
Accusation (noun)	a statement saying that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind, or the fact of accusing someone	You can't just make wild accusations like that!
Accusing (adjective)	suggesting that you think someone has done something bad	Mona’s accusing eyes were fixed on him.
Accusingly (adverb)	in an accusing way	“Edward!” she said accusingly.
Accusatory (adjective)	the meaning and usage are similar to Accusing but in a more formal tone.	Tommie pointed an accusatory finger in her direction.

II. Common usages of Accuse in English

Let's learn more about the common uses of Accuse in English as well as which prepositions Accuse goes with in this article below!

Structure	Example
accuse somebody of something	Richard has accused Tom of stealing his ideas.
accuse somebody of doing something	Maria accuses her husband of cheating.
be accused of something	The surgeon was accused of negligence.

Based on the structural analysis, it can be seen that Accuse in English commonly combines with the preposition "of", meaning: to accuse someone of something; to accuse someone/ being accused of having done something.

III. Synonymous words/phrases of Accuse in English

Let's take a deeper look at some synonymous words and phrases of Accuse in English!

Synonym words/phrases	Example
make an accusation against	Lisa made an accusation against her leader.
level an accusation against	Paul levels an accusation against his competitors.
level a charge against	Ms. Linda denied all the charges leveled against her.
hurl accusations at	This woman hurled accusations at her ex-husband across the courtroom.
charge someone with	Mr. Smith was charged with three counts of fraud.
bring charges against	The employees brought charges against the manager.
file charges against	Local journalists did not file charges.
press charges against	His employers decided not to press charges against him.
level/make an allegation against	You can't just make wild allegations like that.
issue/bring/file an indictment	The judge issued an indictment against 39 top officials.
hand down an indictment against	He must choose between issuing a report and handling out an indictment.
return an indictment against	A grand jury returned an indictment against a woman accused of acting as a foreign government agent.
impeached	The President was impeached by Congress for lying.
allege	It is alleged that Nam mistreated the prisoners.
indict	Ms. Mary was indicted on charges of corruption.

IV. Distinguishing between Accuse and Blame

Similarities: Accuse and Blame both relate to attributing fault or allegations towards someone for something/doing something.

Differences:

	Accuse	Blame
Meaning	Accuse means formally alleging or asserting that someone committed a morally wrong, illegal, or unkind act. It carries stronger implications than Blame.	Blame means attributing responsibilities or fault for an unwanted problem or situation, highlighting accountability. It has a looser sense than Accuse.
Usage	Accuse has 4 common structures: accuse somebody of something/doing something be accused of something/doing something	Blame has 4 common structures: blame somebody/something for something/for doing something blame somebody/something blame something on somebody/something
Example	My friend accused me of stealing his laptop.	My grandmother blamed me for breaking the vase.

V. Exercises on Accuse in English with answers

To better understand what Accuse is and differentiate between the usage of Accuse and Blame. Let's complete the exercise together!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer

She ______ him of cheating on the test.
1. Accused
2. Blamed
The police ______ the suspect of robbery.
1. Accused
2. Blamed
He ______ his failure on his lack of preparation.
1. Accused
2. Blamed
They stand ______ of crimes against humanity.
1. Accused
2. Blamed
Don't ______the weather for our problems.
1. Accuse
2. Blame

Exercise 2: Conjugate the verbs in the sentences below

Bob accused her colleague of (steal) her ideas for the project.
The teacher accused the student of (cheat) on the exam and gave him a failing grade.
The company was accused of (pollute) the river.
David was accused of (commit) a serious crime, but there was not enough evidence to convict him.
The politician was accused of (corrupt), which damaged his reputation and career.

2. Answer

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
A A B A B	Stealing Cheating Polluting Committing Corrupting

VI. Crack the IELTS Exam With Confidence

Through this article, PREP hopes Preppies have a better understanding of the meaning of Accuse in English and have known that Accuse in English is used with the preposition "of". Looking to fast-track your IELTS success? Check out these proven study plans:

IELTS preparation course: Master Every Section of IELTS

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.