Do you know when to use affect and effect?

1. 61

   krando1posted 14 years ago

   Do you know when to use affect and effect?

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2. 60

   MickSposted 14 years ago

   By the use of the word, impact, on here and in general, I would say an awful lot of people either don't know when to use, effect, or they think that impact is, somehow, more dynamic, it isn't.  If you find yourself wanting to use impact, then it is fairly safe to use, effect, not always, but mostly.

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3. 88

   Pamela N Redposted 14 years ago

   I have trouble with them on a regular basis. I have to stop and think about it and even then sometimes get it wrong.

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4. 60

   tinawehaposted 14 years ago

   I'm no expert.  I decided never to be a grammar expert, so this may or may not be correct.  I use "affect" more as a verb and "effect" more as a noun.
   
   "That truck that hit my car is going to affect my driving."
   
   "What is the effect of being hit in the head with a baseball bat?"
   
     I'm a second gen German, so I may have learned it wrong.
   
   I believe...and it made sense when I read about it years ago that the proper way to say "badly" or "bad" is actually:
   
   "I feel bad because you let that guy hit me with that baseball bat."
   
   I feel badly (for some reason....maybe because it is an adverb) means that your sense of feeling is subpar...as in "I feel badly because my hands are numb."  No one seems to use it this way even though I believe this is correct....so do whatever feels right.

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5. 65

   ThunderKeysposted 14 years ago

   Affect is a psychology term, meaning emotion, i.e. the depressed patient displayed flat affect. Effect signifies a cause and effect relationship between two units of analysis, with one unit effecting a change in another unit, i.e. "The baking soda took effect in the vinegar.' Affect also signifies an effect in the form of an emotional response, i.e. "The sound of the crying babe affected everyone deeply." 
   
   You can also effect an affective change and affect an effective change, based on the meaning above; i.e. "she was effectively angered"; or "she was negatively affected by the criticism."

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6. 60

   Tirzah Laughsposted 14 years ago

   Affect--as in emotional (try associating it with affection).
   
   "His affect was one of a sad clown."-- This is an emotional change so affected.   
   
   Affect can also mean 'to copy'.  So you could also say 'Thomas affected the manner of a gorilla'.
   
   Effect is much more straight forward.
   
   Effect-- as in cause and effect.   Not emotional change but some sort of more physical or or relational change.
   
   "The impact of the car effected the stability of the wall." 
   
   Or even 'The wall was effected by the impact of the car.'
   The car hitting the wall CAUSED the EFFECT of making the wall weak.  Neither the wall or the car had any emotional response to the accident.   This is a statement of cause and effect--EFFECT.
   
   This isn't perfect but it helps.  Affect equals emotion so think of affection.  If it's not emotional, it's not affect.

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7. 51

   A Fresh Approachposted 14 years ago

   Correct, Affect is a verb and effect is a noun.
   
   Examples:
   Something that happens can affect something else.
   The result of an action is its effect.

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8. 61

   ConstantineNguyenposted 14 years ago

   Affect (v) influence, make a change on someone or something
   Effect (n) the consequence, the result of something.

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9. 77

   Hunbbel Meerposted 14 years ago

   affect is used as a verb.
   Effect is used as a noun.
   
   SImple (Correct me if I'm wrong, plz)
   
   Same is the case with advise and advice.

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