HI ALL,
I would like to know the different between affect and effect.Thank a lot.
Sun :lol:
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Hi Sun
You can find a lot of information on this site by using the search function.
For the difference between “affect” and “effect”, take a look at these threads:
english-test.net/forum/ftopi … html#36429
english-test.net/forum/ftopi … html#93806
english-test.net/forum/ftopic4853.html#12467
If you still have questions after reading the explanations in those threads, post them here.
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By the way, your original question had a couple of small errors. Here is a corrected version:
I would like to know the differen[color=blue]ce between affect and effect. Thank[color=blue]s a lot.
.
HI Amy,
Thanks a lot I think I get it. :lol:
Sun
affect or effect?
In general use, affect is only used as a verb, whereas effect is commonly used as a noun and only in formal contexts as a verb. What causes confusion is that they have very similar pronunciations and closely related meanings. If one thing affects [acts upon] another, it has an effect on it [causes it to change]. Notice also that you can affect [cause a change in] people as well as things, but you can only effect [bring about] things such as changes: The election has affected our entire society, for it has effected major changes in the government.The bad weather has a bad effect [not affect] on him.
encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/ … 1861583968
There are five distinct words here. When “affect” is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is usually a verb meaning “have an influence on”: “The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act.”
Occasionally a pretentious person is said to affect an artificial air of sophistication. Speaking with a borrowed French accent or ostentatiously wearing a large diamond ear stud might be an affectation. In this sort of context, “affect” means “to make a display of or deliberately cultivate.”
Another unusual meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists—people who normally know how to spell it.
The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: “effect.” This too can be two different words. The more common one is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke.” When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.
The less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the proper expression is not “take affect” but “take effect”—become effective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and get on with your life.
The stuff in your purse? Your personal effects.
The stuff in movies? Sound effects and special effects.
wsu.edu/~brians/errors/affect.html
Grammar Rules for Affect and Effect
Now that we have the two definitions, how do we know which word to use? Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind:
- If you are talking about a result, then use the word “effect.”
- Example: What effect did the loss have on the team?
- It is appropriate to use the word “effect” if one of these words is used immediately before the word: into, no, take, the, any, an, or and.
- Example: The prescribed medication had no effect on the patient’s symptoms.
- Example: In analyzing a situation, it is important to take the concepts of cause and effect into consideration.
- If you want to describe something that was caused or brought about, the right word to use is effect.
- Example: The new manager effected some positive changes in the office. (This means that the new manager caused some positive changes to take place in the office.)
- Affect can be used as a noun to describe facial expression.
- Example: The young man with schizophrenia had a flat affect.
- Example: The woman took the news of her husband’s sudden death with little affect.
- Affect can also be used as a verb. Use it when trying to describe influencing someone or something rather than causing it.
- Example: How does the crime rate affect hiring levels by local police forces?
- Example: The weather conditions will affect the number of people who come to the county fair this year.
(more…)
What is the difference between effect and affect and how to use these terms?
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What’s the Difference Between Affect and Effect?
The general idea is that the word Affect is almost always used as a verb whereas the term Effect has a noun form and a verb form. The other crucial characteristic is the pronunciation. The word Affect is pronounced with a more softer first syllable, while Effect has a harder “uh” phonetic unit. Writing down sentences can help you differentiate these words.
Check out https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-affect-and-effect/ to learn more about the differences and their meaning.
I hope this will help you!
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As mentioned above by coko, askanydifference has given a table about the difference between the two terms.
Also I would advise to check out online dictionaries like effect - Wiktionary for the various ways in which effect and affect can be used.
Also, I like the fact that askanydifference link also has the way to use mind mapping technique to remember the difference between the two.
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