Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 22, 2024
The halo effect describes the psychological phenomenon of allowing an overall initial impression of something, based on a single desirable characteristic, to positively influence future decisions we make about it, even though this characteristic is not relevant to these decisions.
The halo effect can influence choices we make about people, products and brands.
Halo effect exampleMaria is a manager and has to complete performance reviews of Lidia and Henri, two employees in her team who do the same job.
Henri is always very enthusiastic about his work, whereas Lidia has a more reserved character.
Maria gives Henri a better appraisal than Lidia, even though they are both performing at the same level.
The positive “halo” around Henri, formed on the basis of a single, very noticeable positive trait, has unconsciously influenced Maria’s decision making and clouded her judgment.
The halo effect can lead to decision-making errors as it impairs our critical thinking. We need to be aware of it in situations such as job interviews and when making important purchases.
To touch base means to briefly communicate with a person or a group of people such as a team of employees in order to stay in contact with them or check something.
It is an informal idiom that comes from the sport of baseball. It is often used in work and business contexts but is not generally used in formal or academic writing.
Examples: Touch base in a sentenceI’m going to touch base with Maria at the event tomorrow, so I’ll ask her about it then.
Have you got a minute to talk? I just wanted to touch base before the meeting later.
Let’s touch base about the arrangements again later in the week.
Genuflect is a verb meaning “to bend your knee” (e.g., as an act of worship inside a Christian church).
It is also used figuratively to mean “pleasing someone in a way that shows a lack of respect for yourself.”
Examples of genuflect in a sentenceHer mother frowned at her because she forgot to genuflect before taking her seat in church.
You’re going to have to genuflect before him if you want him to agree.
She is a genius who refuses to genuflect at the altar of convention.
Genuflect is split into three syllables with the stress on the first syllable: [jen-yoo-flekt]. The first two syllables are pronounced in the same way as in the word “genuine.”
The adjectivefacetious means “humorous in an inappropriate way or at an inappropriate time.” It is often used to criticize someone or something (e.g., to say that a person is treating a serious issue in an unserious way).
It is also used less critically to mean “funny and not serious.”
Examples: Facetious in a sentenceI thought that was a really facetious remark that Alberto made in the meeting.
You don’t really mean that, do you? You’re just being facetious, right?
I love to read her newspaper columns; they’re just so wonderfully facetious.
When introducing yourself in an email, you need to choose an appropriate:
Greeting (e.g., “Dear Mr. Chan”)
Sign-off (e.g., “Best regards”)
Level of formality
These will depend on the purpose of the email and whether you know the name of the person who will read it.
Introductory emails also use a lot of fixed phrases (e.g., “looking forward to hearing from you”), which mainly come at the start and end of the correspondence.
Indubitably means “certainly” or “without question.”
It is an adverb with the same root as the adjective “indubitable.”
“Indubitably” is not commonly used in modern English and is perceived as being very formal. In speech, it can be used as an interjection if someone is being facetious or putting on airs.
The opposite of “indubitably” is “dubitably,” which is very rarely used in modern English.
Indubitably: Examples in a sentenceIndubitably Miss Smith! The man is surely a fool.
The artist’s work is indubitably groundbreaking.
The consequences will indubitably be felt for years to come.
It is indubitably the case that many questions have been left hanging in the air.
