Concern means worry about something important. It's also a matter that involves someone: It's not your concern, meaning “it's not your business”. It rarely means a large corporation, although a similar word, such as German Konzern, does: a big company is a company, corporation or group, as in Volkswagen Group. Concern in the sense of “firm” does exist, but it sounds formal and is rare in speech.
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concern about/over + noun; raise concerns; a major concern for + person; be concerned about + noun/-ing; it's not your concern
- Several parents raised concerns about the new timetable at the school meeting.
- Thank you for your concern, but I'm feeling much better now.
- Where I spend my weekends is not your concern.
What changed
First versionI'm concerning about the exam next week.
RevisionI'm concerned about the exam next week.
Worrying is something you do, so an -ing form is tempting. But to describe how you feel, English uses be concerned about: “I'm worried”. Concerning means “about, regarding” or “worrying”: concerning news.
It's not your concern and It's none of your business mean the same, but the first sounds more restrained: you can say it to a colleague, while the second fits an argument. There's also a formal verb: This letter concerns your visa, meaning the letter is about your visa.
Your turn
Traffic noise is the main ___ for people who live near the new road.
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concern — Noise is what worries residents most, so the answer is concern. Care means looking after someone, not a reason to worry, so it doesn't fit here.
Write a message to a colleague about a problem in a project. Say what worries you and suggest what to do.
My main concern is the deadline: the client wants more changes, so let's ask for two extra days.
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