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# effect

«effect» in Mova's school dictionary: **a change or result caused by something** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (an effect, effects); verb (effect, effects, effected, effecting — formal: to make happen)

### meaning for a pupil

1) An effect is a change or result caused by something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#m1)

2) Effects (special effects) are tricks of sound, light or pictures in films and shows. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#m2)

3) «In effect» means «really, in practice». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#m3)

4) Formally, to effect a change means to make it happen. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#m4)

5) The phrase «to this effect» means with this meaning or content, such as a notice saying something like the following. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons we study cause and effect: what happens (effect) because of something (cause), like the effect of heat on ice. In reading, cause-and-effect questions ask why things happen. In everyday life medicine has effects and side effects. Phrases: «have an effect on», «cause and effect», «side effect», «special effects», «sound effects», «take effect», «in effect», «greenhouse effect».

### examples

- What is the effect of heat on chocolate? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x1)
- Too much sugar has a bad effect on your teeth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x2)
- The film had amazing special effects. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x3)
- The medicine took effect after an hour. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x4)
- Cause: it rained. Effect: the match was cancelled. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x5)
- The greenhouse effect warms the Earth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x6)
- We added sound effects to our play. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x7)
- His kind words had a big effect on her. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x8)
- A royal proclamation was issued to this effect. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/#x9)

### note

Countable. Big trap: «effect» is usually a noun (the result); «affect» is usually a verb (to change something): «The weather affects my mood; it has an effect on my mood.» Memory trick: Affect = Action (verb), Effect = End result (noun). A «side effect» is an extra, often unwanted effect.

### In the corpora

- [Behind-the-scenes videos show how effects are made, and that can help children feel less scared of film monsters.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/25-special-effects-and-stunts/16/)
- [Signs and adverts sometimes misspell words on purpose for effect; that does not make the spelling correct.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/8-endings-that-sound-like-shun/25/)
- [«Affect» is usually a verb (to change something); «effect» is usually a noun (the result).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/11-homophones-and-near-homophones/33/)
- [The effect is what a choice makes the reader feel, picture or think.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/21-authors-choices-why-this-word-why-this-way/15/)
- [In a plot, one event often causes the next; this is cause and effect.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/22-reading-a-story-characters-plot-and-setting/21/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «effect» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/effect/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.