Affect | effect
Video: Chalking points - affect versus effect Artie Q. Pebbleton of LSRSGames (new tab). (Watching time 4m:17secs)
Affect and effect are often confused because their meanings are so similar. Technically it works like this: affect (spelled with an 'a') is a verb, and effect (spelled with an 'e') is a noun (most of the time).
Affect
A verb: meaning to influence something.
Affect verb meaning to influence.
The bully's nasty words affected her deeply.
I knew my sprained ankle would affect my ability to run the following day.
Here is an example from a more academic sentence:
Luck therefore, says Richards (1993, p. 171), does "affect deserts [ie. that which we deserve], but only ...[in]... recognising that we are not omniscient about such matters, and that we must be responsible in our inferences about them".
Reference:
Richards, N. (1993). Luck and desert. In D. Statman (Ed.) Moral luck. New York, NY: SUNY Press
Effect
A noun: meaning the result of something
Effect is a noun meaning the result of.
The bully's nasty words had no effect on her.
The painkillers for my sprained ankle had an anti-inflammatory and calming effect.
Rare exceptions
For specialist jargon, sometimes effect can be a verb, and affect a noun, (but most people don't need these.)
Affect is sometimes used as a noun to represent the impact that a person's attitude can have on his or her ability to perform in a certain way. It might be used in an education context with reference to the emotional and external factors that influence a child's ability to learn, or as Artie explained in the first video, in psychology. (It is pronounced / 'ʌfekt / (uh-fect) - with the stress on the A).
In the Solomon Islands the impact of affect is significant with regards to widespread literacy under-achievement in primary schools.
On the other hand, effect can be used as a verb that essentially means to bring something about or accomplish.
Amnesty International hopes to effect change in third-world countries.
Both of these exceptions above are specialised (and infrequently applied) uses of these words, and are not usually the reason that students get them muddled.
Complete the quiz items below to see if you have understood this lesson. Then click the blue arrow at the bottom of the page to check your answers.
Instructions: Hover or tap the questions below to see the reason for the answers given in the quiz.
1. Insert either 'affect' or 'effect' to finish the sentnce to make it logical and correct.
The customer's reaction towards him had a surprising ______ on his ability to talk with her.
effect ✔
Why: The meaning is about the "influence" that something has on something. The sentence structure calls for a noun (and 'effect' is a noun).
2. Decide whether it should be affect (the verb) or effect (the noun) in the sentences below
i) The horrible weather had no ______ on anyone at the beach; they all went swimming anyway. |
❍ affect ❍ effect |
ii) This delay at the train station will ______ the passenger scheduling for the whole day. |
❍ affect ❍ effect |
iii) Scientists continue to study the _____ of household products on animals. |
❍ affect ❍ effect |
iv) Side effects are how medications _____ us in unintended ways. |
❍ affect ❍ effect |
i) effect ✔ (that was a tricky one) ii) affect ✔ iii) effect ✔ iv) affect ✔
Why: In these sentences "affect" appears where a verb (or verb combination) is needed, and "effect" in the place of a noun.
In sentence i) the verb is "had no affect", and in sentence ii) the verb is "will affect".
3. Decide if the sentence below has used 'effects' correctly
The teacher thought that one way to run an exciting science experiment would be to observe the effects of soda drinks on the students. She was wrong. Correct ❍ Incorrect ❍
Correct ✔
Why: In the sentence the teacher is observing some things (noun), so 'effects' is the correct choice because 'effect' is a noun.
4. Below are two sentences. Are they correct or incorrect? Choose the option that is the most accurate. Hint: This item refers to the section in the lesson aboutrare exceptions.
Sentence 1: The present government has effected many positive changes.
Sentence 2: The present government has affected many citizens through their positive changes.
❍ i) Both sentences are correct.
❍ ii) Neither sentence is correct.
❍ iii) One sentence is correct
ii) Both sentences are correct ✔
Why: This is a very rare useage that you are unlikely to encounter except possibly in old texts or very formal or specialist academic texts.
Sentence 1 is about the government's accomplishment.
Sentence 2 is about how the government's actions impacted on the attitudes of the people.