Grammar Mishaps: Define Effect vs. Affect
78What is the difference....exactly?
- Use effect when you mean: RESULT, TO CAUSE, TO ACCOMPLISH, TO BRING ABOUT, or when preceded by A, AN, ANY, THE, TAKE, INTO, and NO. (These words may be separated from effect by an adjective.)
- Use affect when you mean: TO INFLUENCE SOMETHING RATHER THAN CAUSE or AS A NOUN TO EXPRESS EMOTION.
EXAMPLES OF EFFECT
- Her statement effected great emotion with the teachers. (Her statement caused great emotion.)
- What was the effect of taking the drugs on the runner? (What was the result of taking the drugs?)
- The family dialogue effected a positive atmosphere. (The family dialogue brought about a positive atmosphere.)
- How long will we have to wait before the drugs take effect? (In this sentence, "effect" is preceded by "take".)
EXAMPLES OF AFFECT
- Will the campaign contributions affect his voting? (Will the contributions influence his voting?)
- Her affect was greatly subdued when she made her decision. (Her emotion was subdued.)
Note: Affect is usually a verb but can be a noun when used as a means of emotional expression; effect can be either a noun or verb.
Affect: A Definition
Effect: A Definition
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You are always such a great cheerleader, Wajay! Thanks so much! ;)
How about the growing use of singular verbs with the plural "data?" I was taught to say, e.g., the data are clear. But more often than not I read and hear the data IS clear. Now, use of plural verbs with "data" almost sounds stilted. ????
I hear it all of the time too; but yesterday I heard someone on KPFA, a local listener sponsored radio station, use it correctly, he said, "The data are in our favor." The singular form of data is datum, which we hardly ever hear. Thanks, Ralph!
Great page! How about a similar one on usage of raise vs. rise? My students have trouble with that one too...
Hi, Nicole. I wrote a hub on raise vs. rise. Here's the url: http://hubpages.com/hub/Grammar_Mishaps__Raise_vs_
Thanks for the idea! ;)
A very common mistake. I see it occasionally even in the NY Times.
So in the sentence "Inflation has an effect on the buying power of the dollar?" (a rewording of the example sentence given under the affect definitions above) I should use effect (since it is a noun), even though in this case it means "influence" which is a closer in meaning to affect as a verb? But since the noun form of affect doesn't mean influence, then effect is the correct word in this sentence.
This would be very helpful except that it contradicts itself. Affect can be a noun. Affect is never a noun. Which is it?
First by saying, "Use affect when you mean: TO INFLUENCE SOMETHING RATHER THAN CAUSE or AS A NOUN TO EXPRESS EMOTION"
Then by saying, "Note: Affect is never a noun and is usually a verb; effect can be either a noun or verb."
So...can affect be a noun or not?
Yikes, Kristy. You caught a typo mistake, thanks!!! Here's another way of stating from the Lynch Guide to Grammar:
Affect with an a is usually a verb; effect with an e is (usually) a noun. When you affect something, you have an effect on it. The usual adjective is effective, which means "having the right effect," or "getting the job done" — an effective medicine, for instance. (It can also mean "in effect," as in "the new policy is effective immediately.")
If the usuals leave you curious, here's the rest of the story: affective as an adjective means "relating to or arousing an emotional reaction"; effect as a verb means "to bring about" or "to accomplish," as in "to effect a change." There's also the noun affect, usually used in psychology, meaning "an emotion" or "feeling.
I had a student as me this question the other day. I wish my answer would have been as good as yours.
Thanks, Mark. I appreciate the feedback. ;)
Hi how are you, Your words are enlightening. When you get a chance check out some of my work, and let me know.
Keep Hubbin
Jackio
Some resource/reference books acknowledge the use of data as both a singular and a plural noun using either a singular or plural verb. Data is technically plural and datum technically is singular.
Just a note........
What ___(affect/effect)does the administration have on our economy.
This is my number one usage peeve. I don't know why! It just seems so ill-informed to misuse these ones! I like the useful information in your hubs. Thanks.
Data is BOTH singular AND plural.
Hello,
In the following sentence, would affect or effect be correct "Technology & performance will directly xffect your facility operations". I am in a bit of a grammar war with a co-worker, and I really need an independent party to solve this for us!
TIA!
Here's an ambiguous case:
"The [affect|effect] I saw on his face was astounding!"
@Suzanne, the answer is "affect". You would only use "effect" if it meant "bring about". In your sentence, "bring about" doesn't make sense:
"Technology & performance will directly bring about your facility operations".
However, the following sentence can be ambiguous:
"A rise in consumer satisfaction will directly [affect|effect] the increase in sale prices".
The question here is one of causation vs influence. "Affect" means influence, while "effect" means causation.
This was very helpful. I've mixed these two words up so many times over the years. Now I might just be able to remember which is which. Thanks :)
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wajay_47 5 years ago
Robin, these hubs are great! Please keep steering us in the right direction. Thanks