"pass the responsibility to" vs "shift the responsibility on"

Question

"pass the responsibility to" vs "shift the responsibility on"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Shift the responsibility on' implies transferring the blame or accountability to someone else, while 'pass the responsibility to' suggests handing over a task or duty to another person. They are not interchangeable as they convey different meanings.

Last Updated: March 20, 2024

This phrase is used when someone delegates a responsibility or task to someone else, without necessarily implying blame or accountability.

Examples:

I will pass the responsibility to my colleague while I am on vacation.
The manager decided to pass the responsibility to the most experienced team member.
It's time to pass the responsibility to the next generation of leaders.

Alternatives:

delegate the responsibility to
entrust the responsibility to
assign the task to
give the duty to
hand over the responsibility to

This phrase is used when someone is trying to avoid taking responsibility for something by assigning it to another person or group.

Examples:

He always tries to shift the responsibility on others when things go wrong.
Don't try to shift the responsibility on me; you are the one who made the mistake.
It's not fair to shift the responsibility on the new team member for the project's failure.

Alternatives:

place the responsibility on
transfer the responsibility to
assign the responsibility to
blame someone else for
make someone else responsible for

Answer 1

pass the responsibility to

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate handing over a task or duty to another person.

Answer 2

shift the responsibility on

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate transferring the blame or accountability to someone else.

"pass the responsibility to" vs "shift the responsibility on"

pass the responsibility to

shift the responsibility on

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