Search blog
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?
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 | 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 |
|
|
Usage | Accuse has 4 common structures:
| Blame has 4 common structures:
|
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.
- Accused
- Blamed
- The police ______ the suspect of robbery.
- Accused
- Blamed
- He ______ his failure on his lack of preparation.
- Accused
- Blamed
- They stand ______ of crimes against humanity.
- Accused
- Blamed
- Don't ______the weather for our problems.
- Accuse
- 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 |
|
|
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". Let’s follow PREP to update your knowledge of interesting English concepts!
Comment
Search blog
Đăng ký tư vấn lộ trình học
Bạn hãy để lại thông tin, Prep sẽ liên hệ tư vấn cho mình ngay nha!
