Learning Words that Show Effect

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In this lesson, you are going to learn words that show effect. The words you will be learning are: effect, impact, affect, result, consequence, and outcome. They are extremely important in IELTS exams, especially in speaking and writing sections.

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- Learning Words that Show Effect

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In this lesson, we are going to look at the words that show effect.

The words we are looking at today are: effect, impact, affect, result, consequence, and outcome. They are extremely important in TOEFL exams, especially in speaking and writing sections. That's why in today's lesson, we are going to show you how to use them properly in English. In addition, we will show you useful patterns and expressions used with these words. So let's get started.

Let's learn how to use the word "effect".

An effect simply is the outcome or result of something. The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun effect. Note that A is the cause. B is the effect.

The/One effect of A on ___ is B
B is an/one effect of A on ___
A has/have an effect on ____

Here are example sentences of the first and the second pattern:

One effect of advertising on the public is overconsumption.
Overconsumption is one effect of advertising on the public.

An example of the third pattern could be:

Advertising can have a significant effect on the public.

In these examples, advertising is what causes the effect. The public is the target. Overconsumption is the effect.

Let's learn how to use the word "impact".

We can replace 'effect' with the noun 'impact'. So, the above example sentences would become:

One impact of advertising on the public is overconsumption.
Overconsumption is one impact of advertising on the public.
Advertising can have a significant impact on the public.

When we use the noun 'impact', or 'effect', we often use positive adjectives like 'positive', 'beneficial' or negative adjectives like 'negative', 'adverse', 'harmful', 'detrimental' before it.

Let's look at the following examples:

One negative impact of social media on the society is that it leads to addiction.
One positive impact of computers on society is that they bring convenience to our life.
Parasitic relationships can have beneficial or harmful effects on hosts.

We often use the third pattern, followed by the second pattern when we write a summary.

Here are examples:

Globalization has many adverse impacts on developing countries. One negative impact is the acceleration of income inequalities. However, globalization can also have positive impacts on developing countries. One positive impact is that it creates greater opportunities for firms to tap into more and larger markets around the world.

Nicotine, an addictive substance, has many harmful effects on our health. One detrimental effect of nicotine is that it causes lung diseases. Another adverse effect of nicotine is it causing damage to our brains.

Let's learn how to use the word "affect".

Okay! A lot of students often get confused between 'effect' and 'affect'. 'Effect' is a noun. Affect is used as a verb meaning "to have an impact on." An example of this is

Advertising negatively affects children in many different ways.

Since to affect is a verb, It is wrong to say:

Advertising has many negative affects on children.

It should be

Advertising has many negative effects/impacts on children.

Let's learn how to use the word "result".

Alright! The next noun we are looking at is 'result'. The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun result.

_____(B) is a result of ___(A)
The result of __ (A) is ___ (B).
When/If ___, the result is ____(B)

Here are example sentences:

Air pollution is a result of the burning of fossil fuels.
The result of deforestation is a loss of natural habitat for various animals.
If the economy continues to decline, the result will be the deterioration of our standard of living.

Another word that has the similar meaning of result is "consequence". However, the noun "consequence" is most frequently used to talk about negative results of an action. It is commonly used with such words as "adverse", "disastrous", "fatal", "harmful", "negative", "serious". For example, when people do something wrong, like robbing a bank, the consequence will probably be prison time. When something occurs in nature, like a tornado touching down, destruction might be a disastrous consequence.

The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun consequence.

B is a consequence of A
When/If ___, the consequence is B
A has a consequence.
The consequence of A is B.

Here are example sentences:

Depletion of natural resources is a consequence of rapid industrial development.
When humans exploit natural resources, the consequence can be the loss of natural habitats.
The exploitation of natural resources has serious consequences.
The consequences of oil spills are disastrous to many plants and animal marine life.

Let's learn how to use the word "outcome".

Okay! The last word we are looking at today is 'outcome'.

People often confuse outcome and result. "Result" is often used to talk about things that are caused directly by something else: "Outcome" is more often used to talk about what happens at the end of a process when the exact relation of cause and effect is less clear:

In addition, "result" is often used after an event to talk about what happened. "Outcome" is often used before an action or process to talk about what is likely to happen.

Take a look at these examples

The outcome of a pricing strategy may be less profit from a reduced number of sales.
It's too early to predict the outcome of the meeting.
We are waiting to hear the final outcome of the negotiations.
I know that my students worked hard, so I expect a good outcome.

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