Using に対して vs に応えて


I was doing some practice JLPT questions, and am having trouble determining
when to best use に対して vs に応えて.

所長は今回の事件（ ）どう責任をとるつもりなのか。

The correct answer is listed as に対して.

I choose に応えて thinking that 'in response to this incident' made sense.
However, thinking about it more, I suppose that に応えて prefers to take an action
verb... Am I on the right path?




応える has much narrower meaning than English "respond". It is almost only used
in the context of human communication, and means "give what they
expect/deserve in return for their (incoming) action" (hint: it has the same
reading as 答える "answer").

> 通信に応える _respond to the transmission_  
>  疑念に応える _address the suspicion_  
>  要望に応える _respect/fulfill the request_  
>  期待に応える _live up to the expectation (directed at you)_

事件 is just a fact, not a message from anybody, so you can confront it, but
cannot 応える.




応える has much narrower meaning than English "respond". It is almost only used
in the context of human communication, and means "give what they
expect/deserve in return for their (incoming) action" (hint: it has the same
reading as 答える "answer").

> 通信に応える _respond to the transmission_  
>  疑念に応える _address the suspicion_  
>  要望に応える _respect/fulfill the request_  
>  期待に応える _live up to the expectation (directed at you)_

事件 is just a fact, not a message from anybody, so you can confront it, but
cannot 応える.

