affect verb ( Influence ) – to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause them to change
- Both buildings were badly affected by the fire.
- The divorce affected every aspect of her life.
- It’s a disease which affects mainly older people.
- I was deeply affected by the film (= It caused strong feelings in me).
effect noun [C or U] the result of a particular influence
- The radiation leak has had a disastrous effect on/upon the environment.
- I tried taking tablets for the headache but they didn’t have any effect.
- I think I’m suffering from the effects of too little sleep.
- She has a lot of confidence which she uses to good effect (= to her advantage) in interviews.
take effect – to produce or achieve the results you want
- They had to wait ten minutes for the anaesthetic to take effect before they stitched up the cut.
for effect – mainly disapproving – If you say or do something for effect, you intentionally do it to shock people or attract their attention
- I get the impression that she uses bad language in meetings for effect.
in effect – in fact, or in practice
- So in effect the government have lowered taxes for the rich and raised them for the poor.
to that effect (also to the effect that) – used to express that what you are reporting is only a short and general form of what was really said
- She said she was unhappy, or words to that effect.
- He said something to the effect that he would have to change jobs if the situation continued.
Source: Cambridge Dictionary
inquire verb – to ask for information
- Shall I inquire about the price of tickets?
- [+ question word] She rang up to inquire when her car would be ready.
- [+ speech] “Where are we going?” he inquired politely.
[With] … enquire and inquire, the forms are interchangeable. Some organisations, such as newspapers, tend to standardise on the in- form, but there are also those who make a distinction between, for example, an official inquiry and an informal enquiry.
Source: Macquarie Dictionary online.
