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Learn the Difference Between
AFFECT and EFFECT
by Tina Blue (used with
permission)
August 11,
2000
Confusion between the words "affect" and "effect" is so common that I
almost never see either of the words used correctly. Since I read
anything that doesn't move fast enough to get away from me, and since
I read hundreds of essays by college students each semester, I have
reason to believe that this error is not just a misspelling, but an
actual misapprehension of the two words and how they are used. Just
the other day I read two articles with this mistake, which is
why I decided to take it up as one of the first items in my column
concerning grammar and usage.
Generally speaking, "affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun. When
you affect something, you produce an effect on it. Even in the passive
voice, something would be affected, not effected.
There are certain situations where "effect" is used as a verb and
situations where "affect" is used as a noun, but very few people ever
have a need to use them thus, so unless you are already confident of
your ability to use these words correctly, just treat as general the
rule that "effect" is a noun and "affect" a verb.
(If you feel the need to get fancy, however, here are the meanings of
"effect" as a verb and "affect as a noun: as a verb, "effect" means to
execute, produce, or accomplish something; as a noun, "affect" is used
primarily by psychologists to refer to feelings and desires as factors
in thought or conduct.)
If you find that you have sometimes made the mistake of switching
these two troublesome words, you probably should proofread
specifically for them until you have formed the habit of using them
correctly without having to think about it.
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