What Does โDevolve sth to sbโ Mean?
โDevolve sth to sbโ means to pass or transfer responsibility, power, or duties from one person or group to another, usually to a lower level.
Introduction
The phrase โdevolve sth to sbโ is commonly used in formal and business English to describe the process of transferring tasks, authority, or responsibilities from a higher authority to a subordinate or a different group. Understanding the devolve sth to sb meaning helps learners express ideas about delegation, decentralization, and management clearly. This phrasal verb often appears in politics, business, and organizational contexts but can also be used in everyday situations when talking about giving someone else responsibility. Learning how to use โdevolve sth to sbโ correctly will improve your ability to discuss processes where power or duties shift from one party to another.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: devolve something to somebody
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2 to C1
- Short meaning: To transfer responsibility or power to someone else
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โDevolveโ is a transitive verb and is usually followed by a direct object (something) and then the indirect object (to somebody).
- Correct pattern: devolve + something + to + somebody
- Example: The government devolved power to local authorities.
- The verb is inseparable, so you cannot place the indirect object before the direct object (e.g., โdevolve to somebody somethingโ is incorrect).
How to Use โDevolve sth to sbโ?
Use โdevolve sth to sbโ when you want to talk about giving or transferring duties or authority from one group or person to another, often from a higher to a lower level. This is common in organizational, political, or administrative contexts.
For example, a company leader might devolve certain decision-making powers to team managers. Similarly, a government may devolve responsibilities to regional governments.
Examples
- The company decided to devolve the hiring process to individual departments.
- The central government devolved healthcare management to local councils.
- Our manager devolved the task of preparing the report to me.
- Responsibilities for customer service were devolved to the new support team.
- In many countries, education policies are devolved to regional authorities.
These sentences show how โdevolve sth to sb in a sentenceโ can be used naturally.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: The manager devolved to me the project.
- Correct: The manager devolved the project to me.
- Incorrect: They devolved from the team leader.
- Correct: They devolved responsibility to the team leader.
Remember that โdevolveโ is transitive and requires an object before โto sb.โ
Differences / Synonyms
Similar verbs include delegate, transfer, and hand over. However, โdevolveโ often implies a formal or official transfer of power or responsibility, especially downward in hierarchy.
- Delegate: Often used for assigning tasks, can be informal.
- Transfer: More general, can refer to many types of movement or change.
- Hand over: Informal, usually means giving something physically or responsibility.
Example: The CEO delegated some duties to the assistant, but the government devolved legal powers to the regional council.
Common Collocations
- Devolve power to sb
- Devolve responsibility to sb
- Devolve authority to sb
- Devolve control to sb
- Devolve duties to sb
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of devolve sth to sb:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: Have you heard that the company is planning to devolve some tasks to our team?
Ben: Yes, I think they want us to handle customer complaints directly.
Anna: That makes sense. It will speed up the process if the responsibility is devolved to us.
Ben: Exactly! More power, more work.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct phrase:
The government decided to _______ environmental regulation _______ local agencies.
- a) devolve / to
- b) devolve /
- c) devolve to /
- d) devolved / for
Answer: a) devolve / to
FAQs
- Q: Can โdevolveโ be used without โto sbโ?
A: Usually no. โDevolveโ requires specifying who receives the responsibility. - Q: Is โdevolve sth to sbโ formal or informal?
A: It is mostly formal and used in official contexts. - Q: Can I say โdevolve the task on someoneโ?
A: No, the correct preposition is โto,โ not โon.โ - Q: What is the difference between devolve and delegate?
A: โDevolveโ implies a formal transfer, often downward; โdelegateโ can be more general and informal. - Q: Is โdevolveโ separable?
A: No, it is inseparable; the object always comes before โto sb.โ
