Effect vs affect!

I think these might be two of the most confused words in the whole of the English language! I have also been guilty of mixing up the meanings.

Affect is a verb – to influence something or cause something to change. A useful tip is that A is for action, and verbs are action words!

Effect is (usually) a noun – the result of an influence or change!

If A affects B, then B experiences the effect of A’s action… For example, if I affect your decision, the effect of my action is that your decision changes!

The reason these two words are often confused is that they sound almost identical when spoken – so be careful!


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239. France Bans Short-Haul Flights: How Bad is Flying for the Environment? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Thinking in English

LINGODA'S Language Sprint – https://try.lingoda.com/Thinking_Sprint Use code THINKINGSPRINT for $20 off! – https://try.lingoda.com/Thinking_Sprint France has recently banned some short-haul flights in order to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. How bad is flying for the environment? Is France’s ban effective? And should we go further in order to protect the planet? TRANSCRIPT – https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2023/06/05/239-france-bans-short-haul-flights-how-bad-is-flying-for-the-environment/ My Links ⁠JOIN THE CONVERSATION CLUB  — https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish ⁠ ENGLISH CLASSES – https://thinkinginenglish.link/  ⁠Buy Me a Coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dashboard⁠ NEW YOUTUBE Channel!!! – https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast  INSTAGRAM – thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)   Blog – thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary To ban (v) – to forbid (= refuse to allow) something, especially officially Sustainable (adj) – causing, or made in a way that causes, little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time. Aviation (n) – the activity of flying aircraft, or of designing, producing, and keeping them in good condition. Contrail (n) – a white line left in the sky by an aircraft that consists of water vapour (= gas) that has condensed (= turned back into very small drops of water). Domestic (adj) – relating to a person's own country. Objection (n) – the act of expressing or feeling opposition to or dislike of something or someone. Viable (adj) – able to work as intended or able to succeed. To offset (v) – to pay for things that will reduce carbon dioxide in order to reduce the damage caused by carbon dioxide that you produce. — Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support
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By Tom Wilkinson

Host and founder of Thinking in English, Tom is committed to providing quality and interesting content to all English learners. Previously a research student at a top Japanese university and with a background in English teaching, political research, and Asian languages, Tom is now working fulltime on bettering Thinking in English!

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