Zero’s WOD:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zero’s Word of the Day: Impact

In this series, we explore words that you might see on the TOIEC or TOEFL tests. You may see these words in different parts of the test.

The word impact can be both a noun or a verb. The context of the sentence will show you which it is. So let’s look at some examples!

NOUN USE:

1. There was a sound of a third impact.
2. The customer has a small impact on the company.
3. There was a small impact when the apple fell from the tree.

In these sentences, impact is used as a noun. It is identifying a thing or event. A thing can be anything from a physical object to a thought or feeling. It is the act of something coming in contact with something else.

VERB USE:

1. The glass impacted on the ground.
2. The high interest rates have impacted the stock market.

The verb form of these sentences have two different meanings.

In sentence 1, the meaning of impact is that an object came into forcible contact with another object. The glass hit the ground very hard.

In sentence 2, the meaning of impact is that something has a strong effect on something else. I doesn’t actually have contact with the other object, but it affects it.

Can you identify if it is a noun or a verb in these sentences?

1. We were just beginning to understand their impact on nature.
2. Cutting prices will impact our revenue.

Synonyms (words with similar meanings)

• Shock
• Bang
• Buffet
• Crash

Antonyms (words with the opposite meanings)

• Coincidence
• Unity
• Concord
• Unison

Knowing words that have a similar meaning or an opposite meaning can help a lot when you take the test. Often times they will use one word in the question, and a different word in the answer.

If you have questions or comments, leave a comment below! Discussion is always a great way to expand language learning!

SIP video: “~ish” word endings!

This video talks about the ending “~ish” that many English speakers use.

Using ~ish at the end of a word removes the exact meaning of the word. It makes the word less exact.

Examples:
-Sand: Sand is a type of dirt that you often see at a beach. It is coarse and not good for growing gardens. **”The sand at this beach is so soft!”
-Sandish: It is dirt that may have sand in it, or a similiar texture to sand, but may not actually be sand. **”The soil in my garden is sandish in texture.”

You can put ~ish at the end of most adjectives:
-Sweet + ish = a little sweet
-Hot + ish = it is a little hot (temperature or spice wise)
-Blue + ish = Something that could be blue, but you are not sure

We also use it for time. Putting ~ish at the end of a time means around that time.
-12 + ish = around 12
-5 + ish = around 5

Lets look at some example sentences:

1. Can you meet at 1ish today for lunch?
2. The cake was sweetish.
3. My missing phone has a pinkish cover with animals on it.
4. My stir-fry is spicyish.

In the U.S., I hear this ending a lot, especially with my friends. It is a common slang ending in our daily language!

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a comment!