The collocation "marked effect" signifies a noticeable, significant, or distinct impact or influence. It indicates that something has produced a change that is easily observed or recognized.
The meaning is compositional, with "marked" meaning noticeable or distinct, and "effect" referring to a result or consequence. However, the specific combination of "marked" + "effect" creates a stronger sense of significance than simply "noticeable effect".
The register is generally neutral to formal, suitable for academic, professional, and journalistic writing.
The grammatical pattern is adjective + noun. "Marked" functions as an adjective modifying the noun "effect."
Typical objects or subjects are the things that have the effect. Prepositions like on are commonly used to indicate what is being affected (e.g., "marked effect on something").
The components of "marked effect" cannot be separated. It's a fixed collocation.
It sounds unnatural to use a verb with "marked effect". Instead, something has a marked effect. It also sounds unnatural to replace "effect" with a near synonym like "impact" or "influence" when paired with "marked," though these are acceptable in other contexts with similar adjectives.
"Solvent dielectric constant seems to have marked effect on the stability of 1." — Chemistry Central Journal
"This indicates that gamma ray-irradiated textile effluent has marked effect on root length." — International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture
"A more subtle, but more marked, effect of within-family sex has emerged in Iceland." — The Guardian
"Atmospheric conditions have a marked effect on the luminous range of lights." — Britannica
"Traditional butchers do it differently, as you might hope, and there's a marked effect on taste and tenderness." — The Guardian - Lifestyle
Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/marked+effect
| Phrase | Context |
|---|---|
| significant effect | A close synonym, slightly more common and versatile. |
| noticeable effect | Indicates an effect that is easily observed; less emphasis on magnitude. |
| considerable impact | Uses "impact" instead of "effect"; implies a substantial influence. |
| pronounced effect | Emphasizes the clarity and distinctness of the effect. |
| substantial influence | Uses "influence" instead of "effect"; suggests a power to affect something. |
| major impact | Suggests a large-scale or important effect. |
| strong impact | Another close synonym, often interchangeable but can imply more forcefulness. |
A common mistake is using the phrase in an active voice construction, such as "The study marked an effect on the participants." It's more correct to say, "The study had a marked effect on the participants."
Learners might incorrectly use a synonym of 'marked' that doesn't collocate well with 'effect', such as 'strong effect' in some contexts where 'marked effect' is more appropriate.
| Expression | Meaning | Grammatical Pattern | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| marked effect | A noticeable or significant impact or influence. | Adjective + Noun | Neutral to Formal |
No, the words in the collocation "marked effect" should not be separated. It's a fixed phrase, and inserting words between "marked" and "effect" would sound unnatural and grammatically incorrect.
"Marked effect" and "significant effect" are very similar and often interchangeable. However, "marked effect" often implies a more easily observable or distinct change, while "significant effect" emphasizes the importance or consequence of the change.
While "strong effect" is sometimes acceptable, "marked effect" is often the more appropriate and idiomatic choice, especially in formal writing. "Strong effect" can sometimes imply a more forceful or intense influence, whereas "marked effect" emphasizes the clear and noticeable nature of the impact.
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