Affect vs. Effect

Be sure not to confuse affect and effect. Affect is a verb; effect is a noun. Examples:

Dr. Searle’s philosophy course had a profound effect on my worldview.

Dr. Searle’s philosophy course profoundly affected my worldview.

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Difference between "forbid" and "prohibit" / "ban"

Forbid vs. Prohibit / Ban

If something is forbidden, it is usually something that I have been told (often orally) that I cannot do. Example:

I can’t play outside for a week. My mother forbid me. ( = My mother told me that I am not allowed to play outside.)

If something is prohibited or banned, it is usually something that is illegal or against the law. Example:

New York City banned hand guns in the city center. ( = It is now against the law to have a hand gun in the city center.)

Consequently, we cannot say this:

My mother banned me to bring friends home to play.

Correct is as follows:

My mother forbid me to bring friends home to play.

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"Estimate" vs. "Judge"

Estimate vs. Judge

These words aren’t exactly the same. I usually use estimate if I am making a guess about a quantity. I use judge when I talk about the quality of something, especially about people. Example:

Some people say that it’s never good to judge a book by its cover.

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"Dress" vs. "Clothes"

Dress vs. Clothes
Be careful with these words—there is the potential for a spectacular mistake. For example, you wrote:

...a person can be judged by the dresses he wears...

It is true that sometimes I like to wear dresses, but most men do not. Only women wear dresses.

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