The Vemlit learning guide

Four word pairs worth getting right.

Two words can look similar, or share a Chinese translation, yet do different jobs in a sentence. Start with the situation and the sentence pattern—not just the spelling.

By the Vemlit team · 30 October 2026

1. Affect and effect: action or result?

In everyday use, affect is usually a verb: something influences something else. Effect is usually a noun: the result of that influence. Both may be translated using 影響, so check the job the word does.

Try the patterns affect something and have an effect on something. These cover the common uses here; dictionaries also list less common meanings.

2. Borrow and lend: which direction?

Borrow means you receive something temporarily (借入). Lend means you give it to someone temporarily (借出). Both involve an expectation of returning it.

It is the same event from two viewpoints. The patterns are borrow something from someone and lend something to someone. You can also say “Mei lent me her calculator.”

3. Advice and advise: a thing or an action?

Advice is a noun (建議). Advise is a verb (提出建議). The ending sounds different too: advice ends with /s/ and advise with /z/.

Advice is uncountable: write some advice or a piece of advice, not “an advice” or “advices”. For the action, try advise someone to do something.

4. Rise and raise: what moves?

Use rise when something itself goes up (上升). Use raise when someone or something lifts or increases another thing (提高、舉起). In this use, raise takes an object.

Notice the forms: rise → rose → risen, but raise → raised → raised. Ask: is the subject going up, or making something else go up?

Try it before opening the answers.

Choose the correct word in each sentence. Explain your choice in a few words.

1. The new timetable may ___ our lunch break. (affect / effect)
2. May I ___ your notes until Friday? (borrow / lend)
3. She gave me useful ___ about speaking practice. (advice / advise)
4. Please ___ your hand if you need help. (rise / raise)

Keep the pair with its pattern.

When you save a word, keep a short example that makes its role clear. On your next review, cover the word and reconstruct the whole phrase. If two words still confuse you, describe the difference using the same situation, as in the calculator example.