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account for vs amount to



 
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Use of being + third form | Consider + as
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account for vs amount to #1 (permalink) Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:21 am   account for vs amount to
 

Hi,
as far as I understand both of these phrasal verbs are similar in the meaning of "constitute" But are they synonymous, e.g. are all of the following correct?

The state-funded health care accounts for 9% of public spending.
The state-funded health care amounts to 9% of public spending.

The money he saved amounts to a small fortune.
The money he saved accounts for a small fortune.

Thanks in advance!
Raf
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Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 62

account for vs amount to #2 (permalink) Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:06 am   account for vs amount to
 

'Accounts for' doesn't work in your second instance. 'Account for' is used to suggest that source is being considered, while 'amount to' is concerned only with quantity.
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