Below you will find two examples and then the meaning of the phrasal verb 'put down to' which you are likely to find used in the Cambridge Advanced exam.
In order to remember this use, make sure to make an example in your own words with the phrasal verb.
Examples
"Have you noticed how Simon is behaving recently? He is very aggressive with everyone."
"Yes, I have. I PUT it DOWN TO him being very stressed. He has never been good with dealing with pressure."
"Why do you think he is leaving the company?"
"I could be wrong, but I would PUT it DOWN TO her not being promoted to manager of the department in July. I noticed she has been different since she found out about it."
Meaning
To say what you personally believe the reason is for why somebody did or does something or why something happened.
To see some more examples of this phrasal verb watch our YouTube video on the phrasal verb.
Return to the list of 50 commonly phrasal verbs in the CAE exam.