I take/don't take (the) responsibility for paying the bill.

[taked4700]

Hi,

Let me ask you about articles.

I guess 1. would be natural and idiomatic without 'the' before responsibiliy, but 2. would need 'the' before responsibility. Am I right?

Context: Students made fuss in the classroom and ended up breaking the door.

1. Teacher: Who do you think should pay the bill for repairing the door?
Student2: I started the fight. So, I guess I should take responsibility
for paying the bill.



2. Student2: I was just sitting on a chair beside the door
so I don't think I should take the responsibility
for paying the bill.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Aidanriley]

Students made a fuss in the classroom and ended up breaking the door.

I guess I should take responsibility for paying the bill.
This is correct. 'the' would be like this:
I guess I should take the responsibility OF paying the bill.

I was just sitting on a chair beside the door, so I don't think I should take the responsibility for paying the bill.
This one is not correct. Use 'the responsibility of' or 'responsibility for'.
However, it would sound MUCH better and be MUCH more natural to say:

I don't think I should be responsible for paying the bill.

 

[suzi br]

Hi -- I think this is a case where it could be used or omitted in either case without causing any problems.

Student 2 might choose to intensify his comments with the word ANY instead of THE.

 

[suzi br]

PS it seems I don't entirely agree with the first person to respond.

The phrase responsible for sounds fine to me!

 

[Copyright]

My favorites?
1. So, I guess I should take responsibility for paying the bill. (As you have it.)
2. I don't think I should be responsible for paying the bill. (As Aidanriley suggests.)

 

[taked4700]

Thank you, Aidanriley and suzi br and Copyright.

Then, could I understand as follows?

1. "Be responsible" and "take (the) responsibility" have different roles in showing how responsible you are. At first, whether you are responsible or not is the matter, which is expressed with "be responsible", then, in the next stage, when you are responsible, you can show your willingness with the phrase of "take (the) responsibility".

2. Why you need 'the' in the phrase of "take the responsibility of paying the bill" is that the word 'responsibility' here just means paying the bill only whereas "take responsibiliy for paying the bill" does not need 'the' before 'responsibility' because this responsibility does not indicate any concrete thing. This could mean you raise money by asking classmates to donate for paying the bill.

Thanks in advance.