are heavily affected by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are heavily affected by" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the significant impact or influence that one thing has on another. Example: "The local economy is heavily affected by changes in tourism patterns."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

THE NEWS More than 40percentt of the world's oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including overfishing and pollution, a study found.

The New York Times

"His hawkish interest rate comments have folks running from stocks that borrow a lot of money and are heavily affected by overall economic activity," said Alfred E. Goldman, chief market strategist at A. G. Edwards & Sons Inc. "This depression among the old-economy stocks has caused the manic buying of the new-economy stocks".

The New York Times

In particular, BA enrollment and completion rates are heavily affected by selection on high school achievement.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Both of them are heavily affected by soil resistivity and size scale of the tower footing.

Electric Power Systems Research

Energy consumption and thermal comfort in buildings are heavily affected by weather conditions.

Energy and Buildings

In most cases, the properties are heavily affected by the morphology, size, and size distribution of nanoparticles.

Nanoscale Res Lett

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

Again, travel time is heavily affected by traffic conditions.

The New York Times - Travel

She also pointed to families whose finances were heavily affected by the recession.

The New York Times

These differences were heavily affected by socially determined behaviours such as those concerning marriage patterns.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The region was heavily affected by deindustrialization starting in the 1990s.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Tax, privacy and even debt markets would also be heavily affected by a Brexit.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "are heavily affected by", ensure that the subject and the affecting factors are clearly defined to maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity. For example, "Crop yields are heavily affected by rainfall patterns".

Common error

Avoid using "are heavily affected by" when the relationship is correlational rather than causal. For instance, instead of saying "Sales are heavily affected by the season" (correlation), consider "Sales increase during the holiday season" (direct description).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are heavily affected by" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the subject experiences a significant impact from an external factor. As noted by Ludwig AI, it describes a strong influence or alteration.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "are heavily affected by" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to describe how significantly something is influenced or changed by external factors. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's effective for conveying a strong cause-and-effect relationship. While versatile, it's essential to clearly identify both the subject and the impacting factors to maintain clarity. Synonyms like "are significantly influenced by" or "are greatly impacted by" can provide alternative nuances. The phrase finds frequent use in scientific, news, and encyclopedic contexts, reflecting its suitability for objective descriptions of influence. However, remember that using it appropriately depends on identifying genuine causal relationships rather than mere correlations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are significantly influenced by

Emphasizes the influence as considerable, replacing "heavily affected" with "significantly influenced".

are greatly impacted by

Replaces "affected" with "impacted", focusing on the magnitude of the effect.

are substantially determined by

Highlights that the outcome is largely decided by certain factors rather than just influenced.

are profoundly shaped by

Suggests a deeper, more transformative effect compared to simple influence.

are strongly conditioned by

Indicates a causal relationship where certain factors dictate the state or behavior of something.

are largely governed by

Implies control or regulation by certain elements, moving away from simple effect.

are markedly altered by

Focuses on the noticeable change caused by certain factors.

are considerably swayed by

Highlights the aspect of being persuaded or influenced to a certain direction.

are intensely modified by

Stresses the degree and intensity of the modification or change experienced.

are critically dependent on

Shifts focus to reliance, indicating the subject cannot function without the influencing factors.

FAQs

What does it mean when something is "heavily affected by" something else?

It means that the first thing experiences significant changes or is greatly influenced by the second thing. The impact is substantial and noticeable.

Are there synonyms for "are heavily affected by"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "are significantly influenced by", "are greatly impacted by", or "are substantially determined by".

How can I use "are heavily affected by" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe how one thing changes or is impacted by another. For example, "The company's profits are heavily affected by fluctuations in the stock market."

Is it better to say "are heavily affected by" or "are significantly affected by"?

Both are correct, but "are significantly affected by" may sound more formal or objective. "Are heavily affected by" can sometimes carry a connotation of a more negative or burdensome impact.