These two words might sound similar when spoken but they have two very different meanings. One is a verb whilst the other is a noun. A difference in spelling of only one letter is all that separates the two, but mixing them up will give a bad impression to the person reading and grading your paper. Learn about their meanings and usage so that you can employ them with confidence in your writing.
Affect
‘To affect’ is a verb meaning to influence, alter or make an impact upon something. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘The weather during spring affects the vegetable crop in summer’.
It is also used more specifically in the context of being emotionally affected to mean that someone has been deeply and profoundly moved. In this case, it would be used like this:
‘She was really affected by the plight of the children in the refugee camp’.
Effect
The word ‘effect’ is a noun meaning the result, outcome or consequence of change.
Simply put, an effect is the change caused when something is affected. To continue the example above, this is evident in the sentence:
‘The weather during spring has an effect on the vegetable crop in summer’
The word ‘effect’ also often crops up in the phrase ‘in effect’, meaning ‘in force’ or ‘in operation. The phrase would be used in a sentence like this:
‘A ban on smoking in public places has been in effect since 2007’.
The Word ‘Effect’ as a Verb
Minor confusion can occur due to the fact that ‘effect’ can be used as a verb, as in the sentence:
‘The group hoped to effect change through peaceful protest’.
This is, however, quite a rare and literary use of the word. When used in this manner, it is nearly always accompanied by the word ‘change’. To effect change is to cause something to happen, or to facilitate change.
If you would like some more guidance and advice about your academic writing, get in touch with the professionals at Proofread My Document today!
Affect
‘To affect’ is a verb meaning to influence, alter or make an impact upon something. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘The weather during spring affects the vegetable crop in summer’.
It is also used more specifically in the context of being emotionally affected to mean that someone has been deeply and profoundly moved. In this case, it would be used like this:
‘She was really affected by the plight of the children in the refugee camp’.
Effect
The word ‘effect’ is a noun meaning the result, outcome or consequence of change.
Simply put, an effect is the change caused when something is affected. To continue the example above, this is evident in the sentence:
‘The weather during spring has an effect on the vegetable crop in summer’
The word ‘effect’ also often crops up in the phrase ‘in effect’, meaning ‘in force’ or ‘in operation. The phrase would be used in a sentence like this:
‘A ban on smoking in public places has been in effect since 2007’.
The Word ‘Effect’ as a Verb
Minor confusion can occur due to the fact that ‘effect’ can be used as a verb, as in the sentence:
‘The group hoped to effect change through peaceful protest’.
This is, however, quite a rare and literary use of the word. When used in this manner, it is nearly always accompanied by the word ‘change’. To effect change is to cause something to happen, or to facilitate change.
If you would like some more guidance and advice about your academic writing, get in touch with the professionals at Proofread My Document today!