Duty vs Where's her sense of responsibility

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Duty

Top 1,000 (very common)B1noun

Where's her sense of responsibility

Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Duty
 DutyWhere's her sense of responsibility
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈdjuːti/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈduːti/"]/🇬🇧 //wɛrz hɜːr sɛns əv rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪti//🇺🇸 //wɛrz hɜr sɛns əv rɪˌspɑnsəˈbɪlɪti//
MeaningA responsibility or job that someone must do.What happened to her duty to take care of her tasks?
ExampleHe felt it was his duty to help the less fortunate.Where's her sense of responsibility when it comes to her work?
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR levelB1-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationscontractual, legal, statutory, have, owe, carry out, call, under a/​the duty, duty of, duty to, a breach of duty, do your duty by somebody, be duty bound to do something, light, onerous, day, have, pull, see, fall to somebody, manager, officer, doctor, off duty, on duty, the execution of your duties, the performance of your duties, light, onerous, day, have, pull, see, fall to somebody, manager, officer, doctor, off duty, on duty, the execution of your duties, the performance of your duties, heavy, high, low, amount, impose, slap on somebody/​something, increase, be payable, in duty, duty onsense of duty, sense of obligation, lack of responsibility, show responsibility, take responsibility
Antonymsirresponsibility, neglect-
Common mistakesConfused with 'dutie', incorrect spelling., Using 'duty' with a subject instead of a verb; 'duty to help' not 'duty help'., Not using it with the correct preposition, often omitting 'to'.Misunderstanding the context; may use it in unrelated situations., Confusing with other phrases about responsibility, like 'What about her duties?'
Usage notesUsed in both formal and informal contexts. Often relates to moral or legal responsibilities. Avoid using it in casual conversations where lighter terms like 'task' may fit better.Use in contexts discussing accountability or care. It may come across as accusatory, so consider tone and situation.

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Duty
Where's her sense of responsibility

Frequently asked questions: Duty vs Where's her sense of responsibility

What's the difference between Duty and Where's her sense of responsibility?

Duty: A responsibility or job that someone must do. Where's her sense of responsibility: What happened to her duty to take care of her tasks?

Which is more common: Duty and Where's her sense of responsibility?

Duty is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Duty: He felt it was his duty to help the less fortunate. Where's her sense of responsibility: Where's her sense of responsibility when it comes to her work?

Can I use Duty and Where's her sense of responsibility interchangeably?

Not always. Duty and Where's her sense of responsibility are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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