Concerned About vs. Concerned With
How to use "concerned about" and "concerned with" correctlyThis is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.
to be concerned with = “to deal with, to be focused on” or “to be occupied”
this essay is concerned with the problem of overpopulation
concerned with writing my doctoral thesis
to be concerned about = “to be worried about”
this essay is concerned about the problem of overpopulation
the author of this essay is concerned about the problem of overpopulation
Note that in other forms, when there is no preposition to distinguish these meanings, the meaning of concern varies and in some cases can be ambiguous. Depending on context, “This letter concerns me,” for example, could mean that the letter is about me, or it could mean that the letter causes me to feel concern or worry.
Related Resources
Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English
List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list
Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage
List of Common Errors in English Usage: PDF version
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