Guilty about/for

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New2grammar  #537386  Sun, 06 Jul 08 01:36 PM
I felt guilty about having spied on her.
I felt guilty for having spied on her.

Are both the same?
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Cool Breeze  #537452  Sun, 06 Jul 08 05:51 PM
 They are both wrong. You are normally guilty of a crime but that doesn't work in your sentence. Guilty about is possible in some contexts: She felt guilty about that error in the statistics. (= She was at least partly responsible for the mistake.)

I can't think of a case where guilty for would work. I would say: I felt guilty because I had spied on her,  or I might use a causal clause equivalent: I felt guilty having spied on her.

CB

  
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Mr Wordy  #537459  Sun, 06 Jul 08 06:24 PM

Obviously some usage differences here!

Both sentences are fine to me, and mean the same.

  
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