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Write it Right Wednesdays

The difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ 

I know what you’re thinking, you already know the difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’, but do you? Do you really? I’m a professional writer and I still double check to make sure I use ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ properly. So, with that being said we’re going to review it again, as a class, just to make sure we’re using them correctly. Let’s start by first defining the words: affect – to influence/ effect (verb) – to cause/ effect (noun) – result. Notice the definition changes when ‘effect’ is a verb or noun. It means ‘to cause’ when it’s a verb, and it means ‘result’ when being used as a noun. Quick middle school recap: a noun is a person, place, or thing; and a verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. For clarification, let’s take a look at a few sample sentences:

Sample sentences for affect: “The game will affect the standings.”/ “The affects of having a roommate who studies has paid off tremendously.”

Sample sentences for effect (verb): “He will effect many changes in the company”/ “Having natural hair has effected the way I treat the rest of my body too.”

Sample sentences for effect (noun): “The effects of lifting weights for 6 weeks has given my muscles more definition” / The effects of smoking cigarettes can be detrimental.” 

If you really think about it, in order to master ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ you must first know what you want to say because if you don’t you will mix up the two and use them incorrectly. Here’s a way to combat that. When trying to figure out which one to use, replace the word with the meaning. For example, instead of “The affects of having a roommate who studies has paid off tremendously.” write “The influence of having a roommate who studies has paid off tremendously.” This will help you figure out if you’re using the word in the correct way.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ mean two (actually three) different things and cannot be used interchangeably. Now go and let this post positively affect you. See what I just did there?! lol[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]