This is a tricky one and a common mistake, mainly because the two words are so alike and so are the meanings.
The word EFFECT is a noun – Richard’s baby had a positive effect on his life.
The word AFFECT is a verb – Richard was so affected by his baby, his attitude changed.
They way I find easiest to remember is that the word EFFECT is something that has happened, it is a result of something happening. There are other subtle changes to how the word effect can be used, but more often than not it is used as a result.
The easiest way I remember the word AFFECT is that it is a word to influence. ‘The rain affected her eyesight.’ ‘The late nights affected her judgement!’
There are of course instances where the rules above may as well be thrown out the window. However that is comprehensive grammar not a quick tip! Many people have problems remembering the basic rules of effect and affect hence this post just being about that!
6 Comments:
Cool, thanks! I signed up for your feed 2 days ago and I'm already putting it to use. Nice job!
Great stuff! I'm glad it is helping!
Let me know if there is anything you are unsure about and I will see what I can do for you!
Sarah
It's not the case that there are "instances where the rules above may as well be thrown out the window".
It's rather that effect can also be a verb - 'to effect a change' for example - and affect can be a noun (though its usage is pretty uncommon).
That's very true Catherine, thanks for stopping by!
I notice you are 17 out of 30 poems to date! Not far to your target! :D
Keep up the great work!
Sarah xox
Hi!
I'm so glad I found your blog. I am such a stickler for good grammer eventhough I'm not at all perfect at it. I do try very hard and try to be very aware of what I say and write. I will sign up for your reed and have bookmarked it for a great reference guide. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Ellen,
thanks for joining us here!
If you ever have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! :-)
Sarah xoxox
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