Help me out here...What is the correct useage of 'effect' and 'affect'?

1. 86

   Joel Diffendarferposted 10 years ago

   Help me out here...What is the correct useage of 'effect' and 'affect'?
   
   Spell check...no problem...Grammer check....hmmn...even grammer check seems to struggle with the correct useage...  Please help me out with this.  Give me some examples.  Thanks.

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   Effect: Exposure to the sun had the effect of toughening his skin.
   
   Affect: The music affected him deeply.

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3. 87

   rebekahELLEposted 10 years ago

   The easiest way for me to remember is that affect is a verb which means it takes action.  Verb=action.  Affect begins with A.  A=action.
   I stayed up too late and it affected my mood.
   I stayed up too late and the effect will be felt later in the afternoon.
   Any kind of association that makes sense can be helpful with grammar.

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   1. 61

      tendoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Please check out this link and hope that it will help you:
      
      http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style … ammar.html

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4. 86

   Phyllis Doyleposted 10 years ago

   Effect is usually used as a noun.
   
   Affect is a verb.

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5. 86

   Joel Diffendarferposted 10 years ago

   Okay, let's see if I "got" it...
   The effect of the answers to my question affected the way in which I will write in the future.  Did I get it right?

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   1. 0

      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Bravo!!

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   2. 86

      Joel Diffendarferposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      By George, I think he's got it!  Thanks all...!

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   3. 87

      rebekahELLEposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I just saw this hub about how to use these two words.  It sheds more light on the proper usage. http://catherinegiordano.hubpages.com/h … -or-Effect   I think I'm going to follow her, she has useful hubs.

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   4. 68

      Glenn Stokposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, you did say that correctly.

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6. 59

   gposchmanposted 10 years ago

   I am afraid I am going to add to your confusion. In some instances the words can be interchangeable, and in doing so you change the meaning of what you have written.
   
   Think of affect as an emotional word as either a noun or verb, and when you use it in that context you will achieve the desired results your looking for.
   
   You can affect an effect, and you can effect an affect.
   
   In the first part of the sentence I am emotionally acting upon some result. To clarify the sentence fragment I would use other words in the fragment to clarify what I was attempting to say.
   
   In the second fragment part I am changing an emotional state.
   
   You wrote "The effect of the answers to my question affected the way in which I will write in the future."
   
   So an event of the answers to your question will emotionally determine how you will write in the future.
   
   However -
   
   "The affect of the answers to my question effected the way in which I will write in the future."
   
   Your emotional or psychological state to the answers has changed how you will write in the future.
   
   Want a more emotional effect, then use affect.
   
   Ironically the results of what you have written will effect the outcome of how someone reads it. If I wanted a more emotional response from the previous sentence I would have used affect. Either would have been correct.
   
   I hope this helps.
   
   Gene Poschman
   Jonas Watcher: The Case of the Running Bag

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7. 56

   DannoManposted 10 years ago

   Ninety-five percent of the time these two words are fairly easy to remember once you have got it down. But that remaining five percent can be a real bugger.
   
   Most of the time:
   
   Affect is a verb meaning to influence in some way.
   Effect is a noun meaning the result of a cause.
   
   I do like RebeccaElle's word association for keeping this straight. If you also remember the words, cause and effect, that is another association that can help. But that five percent messes up the whole thing.
   
   
   However….
   Five percent of the time:
   
   Affect can be a noun meaning an emotion manifested by facial expression. A person with very little emotional affect in their facial expression has a blank or disinterested appearance.
   
   Effect can be a verb meaning to make happen or execute. Political demonstrations can effect change in a culture.

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   1. 75

      Howard S.posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      DannoMan's is the most correct answer to the original question. There is a set of four words--2 nouns and 2 verbs--and any attempt to pair them inevitably clouds the issue. I have an M.A. in Linguistics and have worked as a Corporate Editor.

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8. 72

   Radical Rogposted 10 years ago

   An affect is produced as in, the recession affected the business.
   An effect is the result or consequence of an action as in, the slump in business is an effect of the recession.

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9. 68

   Glenn Stokposted 10 years ago

   I wouldn't trust the answer from someone who can't get their contractions and possessive adjectives right in the first place. The one you selected as best answer is wrong and will totally confuse you. Other answers here are more correct.  If you're looking for a good review, see Michele Kelsey's hub at...
   
   http://misslong123.hubpages.com/hub/Imp … ageGrammar
   
   She discusses effect and affect about half way through her hub.

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10. 68

    Tusitala Tomposted 10 years ago

    Have you been affected by an effect?   Probably, yes.   But it is just as simple to be effected by an affect.   
    
    An example of the first.  You are affected by the effect of a beautiful sunset; possibly by it soothing effect.   Example of the second:  You effected the conjuring affect of slight-of-hand so quickly that it took a while for your trick to register its effect in the mind of the viewer.
    
    How are you affected by this explanation?   Is it effecting a gradual knowingness as to the two meanings of the word?   I hope you are no longer confused.

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11. 71

    Kate Mc Brideposted 10 years ago

    The easiest way to know the difference is to remember that effect is a noun and affect is a verb. For example:
    Lifestyle affects your health and has an effect on those around you.

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