Would & accounted for (by)

Question

I would like to confirm how to use "would" and "accounted for (by)".

1.
Can I use "would" as "may"? Do they mean the same thing? I want to express a situation with possibility.
Is
Some people would say that being a leader makes you learn more. equal to Some people may say that being a leader makes you learn more.
?

2.
How to use accounted for? Should there be a "by" following "for"?

The honor is often accounted for the person who is on the highest position of the group.
or
The honor is often accounted for by the person who is on the highest position of the group.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

azargramma.Can I use "would" as "may"? Do they mean the same thing? I want to express a situation with possibility.IsSome people would say that being a leader makes you learn more. equal to Some people may say that being a leader makes you learn more.

Yes, those are roughly equivalent. 'Would' is more confident than 'may'.

azargrammaHow to use accounted for? Should there be a "by" following "for"?

Yes, unfortunately, but your sentence is a bit murky in meaning. It should probably be recast as one of these (if I understand what you want to say):

The honor is often attributed to the person who is in the highest position in the group.
The honor is often awarded to the person who is in the highest position in the group.

Azargramma · Answer

Thank you, Mister Micawber.

Then in what situation do we use "be accounted for by"?
In addition, in what situation do we use "be attributed to" instead of "be accounted for by"? I thought they were alike in meaning.
Does the choice depend on the voice (passive and active)?

Mister Micawber · Answer

azargrammaThen in what situation do we use "be accounted for by"?

As few as possible because it is so awkward and rather formal. The phrase indicates a record or explanation:

...eight percent of all bank deposits are now accounted for by yuan-denominated accounts
...If extra air slips past the throttle body without being accounted for by the computer, you're running lean.
...Michelangelo claimed a kind of knowledge in the Last Judgment that could not be accounted for by the Bible.

azargrammaIn addition, in what situation do we use "be attributed to"

It is more a direct assignment of source or cause:

...The number of reported child fatalities attributed to backovers totaled 448 in the years 2006 through 2010
...HIV infection is attributed to overcrowding, poverty, disruption of family and social structures, increased sexual violence
.... The description of cosmic warfare attributed to John of Patmos has inspired some of Western culture's greatest paintings

azargrammaDoes the choice depend on the voice (passive and active)?

No. It is more a matter of collocation.

Would & accounted for (by)

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