Untrue. Something which causes an effect has an effect; it effects something else. Whether it has an affect is much more complex. Even to say something "affects" is anthropomorphization; 'affects' involve both appearence and intention.
Who is a subject, and whom is an object. "The manager promoted Jenkins" can become "The manager promoted whom?" It's still correct if the order is changed: "Whom did the manager promote?"
Except for when affect is also a noun. I work in mental health and a person’s affect is how their mood is presenting that day. Not super common, but definitely an additional confusing factor for me!
Think of it like this: you can apply ownership to effect, but not to the verb affect. He had an effect on climate change, not, he had an affect on climate change. Conversely, he can affect climate change, not, he can effect climate change
Try “practice” and “practise” on for size. For the longest time I literally didn’t even know they were two different words and I always assumed it depended on where the person wrote it is from. The way Americans use “z” instead of “s” in many words.
I think it might be easier for those of us who have English as a second language. Since the translations of affect and effect in my language sound completely different I never mix them up.
I agree that these are the most difficult words to distinguish when you're writing but then they're most annoying when reading and they've been used incorrectly. I think than and then is the only one that annoys me more. But it's weird that when I'm reading I can spot something sus so easily. But then when I'm writing I'll do things that annoy me like using there instead of their or than and then incorrectly and not even noticing my mistake until reading it back later
I’ve spent most of my career in writing and editing roles, and I still have trouble with them. It’s not just that the words are similar, but the meanings are similar.
Yes, I think you're right! Usually I can figure out a pattern like "a comes before e" to remember something. But the meanings, I just get a headache. Everyone is trying to explain it super nice and easy. But my comprehension is being stubborn
They have completely different functions in a sentence. I don't understand why so many native speakers cannot tell the difference between them. Stress, pronunciation... How?
I pronounce both pen and pin the same, and only found out a few years ago they had a difference pronunciation. Same with affect and effect. I didn't realize they had a difference pronunciation. I have a lisp thanks to an open bite maybe that's why I struggle I don't know.
I'm 25 and I still can't figure out which to use in what circumstance. I've just been too lazy to look it up too. I don't even know if I'd believe somebody trying to correct me because they'd probably give me the wrong answer too.
Best thing about English; nobody else really knows for certain. Take a guess and with enough confidence you're suddenly correct because people just assumed you already knew you were. We've made up and lost words by this very mechanism hundreds of times. He'll, we lost a few letters even.
The similarity and parallel (and the difficulty in distinguishing them) is not a coincidence. Unlike they're/their/there, they are not merely homophones. The difference is downright duplicitous, and goes to the root of metaphysics and consciousness.
I honestly find then and than worse. Like I can work affect and effect through my head if I try but deciding between then and than is typically me staring at it going "that's not the right one" with no clue why...but feeling right on what I end up on 😅
Just remember boys and girls, the one that starts with an "A" is the verb.. I hope this affects your memory banks... The effects can be short term unfortunately. 🙂
Affluent and effluent make sense because the mean the opposite. Effect and affect can fuck off. I started seeing affect pop up recently in forums and the like too.
I always have to say this Grammar Girl saying to remind me, "The arrow Affected the Aardvark, the Effect was devastating." Or something like that, I don't remember it exactly, but it serves its purpose.
You know it's hard to understand the difference when it's difficult to find grammar nazis trying to correct people on it despite how often people use it incorrectly
I think that accept and except are worse - not because it is hard to remember which is which, but because if you mess it up, it almost reverses the meaning of your sentence. I used speech to text the other day, and it swapped “excepted” for “accepted”. Doesn’t make sense, but it made me feel like an idiot.
These are the things that make me grateful my first language is English. Imagine coming from a logical language and trying to learn this jerryrigged pigeon garbage masquerading as a language- Ive been an ELS tutor- spent a lot of time apologizing TBH
My first language is Spanish, but at 5, my language became English. I know that effect is an end result and affect is an action, but that’s about it. In context, I never know, so just guess and hope my grammar tool corrects me.
Bruh I am not even a native english speaker and I not once confused those words. It's same with capitol and capital. First one is a building, it's not hard to remember a single damn letter.
Damnit, I was trying to work out how to describe the difference but now I've said both words so many times that neither of them means anything to me anymore. I agree with op. Despite usually knowing the difference, they're a shit pair of words.
I have English as my second language and I don't get how your issue cannot be solved with a quick Google search. The meanings are pretty straightforward
Every time I have to write it in an email or report I IM my colleague Trevor. He’s smart and knows how to use them correctly. Next time, just IM Trevor.
Same here honestly when it comes the time to use either word, I use my intuition. Whatever my brain tells me is what I put 😂 then look it up to see if it makes any sense.
Affect is a verb, or an action. Effect is a noun, or an effect. Affect is used like “Eating only fast foods affect your physical and mental health”, while effect is used like “An effect of only eating fast foods is a degradation in physical and mental health.”
I'm someone who was good at spelling most of my early life and still used 'effect' as a verb for most of my life until a few years ago when I realized it was supposed to be affect.
I always remember special effects and affectations. Special effects are the result of a computer program. Affectations are what you do to affect how other people see you.
Just go with æffect
So, how are you going to handle insure and ensure?
that sounds very similar to affect if you say it though
And make the meanings variants
If something causes an effect, then it affects.
I like your silly words magic man
Effective effects can, in effect, affect an actors affect.
So it would be "He lied to affect the election" and "His lie effected the election"?
Yes these are the same images.
Untrue. Something which causes an effect has an effect; it effects something else. Whether it has an affect is much more complex. Even to say something "affects" is anthropomorphization; 'affects' involve both appearence and intention.
Exactly. Effect is the end result. Affect is the influence. Right?
After I, you, he, she, it, we, they -> affect
Thanks!
This was the only helpful response so far. Kudos.
[удалено]
Actually super helpful. This response effected me. You affected me. Thanks.
Wow. If this is true, this is good to know.
I can't understand how the use is effected? Or affected? Both come after I and the.
Never had an instance where I couldn't substitute in "impact" and eliminate the problem.
"Her steely affect impact tipped my knees to the floor and I thanked her for the privilege of licking the sweat from between her redolent toes."
Who and whom?
These are the ones that always stump me.
Who is a subject, and whom is an object. "The manager promoted Jenkins" can become "The manager promoted whom?" It's still correct if the order is changed: "Whom did the manager promote?"
Also whose and who's
If you switch them out for he or him you can usually figure it out (who for he; whom for them).
"Affect" is an Action (so verb).
Effect also exists as a verb o_o
Effect is a noun, Affect is a verb
Except for when affect is also a noun. I work in mental health and a person’s affect is how their mood is presenting that day. Not super common, but definitely an additional confusing factor for me!
They can both be nouns and verbs
You affect the effect. Remember that sentence and remember that those 2 words are in alphabetical order in it
Came to say this. A before E.
Best way it was explained to me...
His lies had an effect on the voters, which affected the outcome of the election
I think that's correct, happy to be told otherwise
They really need to un-private
This is how I remember it as someone who plays TCG's:
I am not a native English speaker, however I find this very easy to get right.
I think most native English speaker's errors like your/you're or their/they're/there are really easy to get for foreigners
Think of it like this: you can apply ownership to effect, but not to the verb affect. He had an effect on climate change, not, he had an affect on climate change. Conversely, he can affect climate change, not, he can effect climate change
Finally someone says it lmao
Try “practice” and “practise” on for size. For the longest time I literally didn’t even know they were two different words and I always assumed it depended on where the person wrote it is from. The way Americans use “z” instead of “s” in many words.
Think about it in alphabetical order.
I'm Swedish and even I know this. An effect affects something.
Everyone struggles with something that may seem miniscule to others. Unfortunately this is mine
Umm, actually, a factor affecting something causes an effect. The effect is the result of the action, not the other way around.
I think it might be easier for those of us who have English as a second language. Since the translations of affect and effect in my language sound completely different I never mix them up.
So many explanations in here and I still can’t comprehend it
Fr. The replies are confusing me more 💀
Shirly you can't be serious.
I am serious. And don't call me Shirley. 😂
LPT: Use the word "impact" instead. You can use it instead of affect and effect.
Foreigners have entered the chat
Foreigner's 1981 album 4
R.A.V.E.N.
Not sure if this works 100% of the time, but I remember EF result, AF cause
Accept that you will except this from your usual standards.
41, still working to get it right
As a non-Native, it’s not that hard
Bear in mind bare and bear are worse
See those aren't a problem for me! It's these tricky words
Think of affect similar to afflict.
They're, there and their.
An effect is a solitary thing. While affect requires something to affect. At least, that’s kind of how I manage those words.
I have sound effects pedals that affect the way my guitar sounds.
Send, sent and resent.
I agree that these are the most difficult words to distinguish when you're writing but then they're most annoying when reading and they've been used incorrectly. I think than and then is the only one that annoys me more. But it's weird that when I'm reading I can spot something sus so easily. But then when I'm writing I'll do things that annoy me like using there instead of their or than and then incorrectly and not even noticing my mistake until reading it back later
Oh I hate these 2 words with a passion and I am a technical writer lol
Video Games gave me a rule of thumb
Honestly I've learned so much from video games it's unreal. I understand it in the AOE aspect. Everything else, good luck self lol
I’ve spent most of my career in writing and editing roles, and I still have trouble with them. It’s not just that the words are similar, but the meanings are similar.
Yes, I think you're right! Usually I can figure out a pattern like "a comes before e" to remember something. But the meanings, I just get a headache. Everyone is trying to explain it super nice and easy. But my comprehension is being stubborn
They have completely different functions in a sentence. I don't understand why so many native speakers cannot tell the difference between them. Stress, pronunciation... How?
I pronounce both pen and pin the same, and only found out a few years ago they had a difference pronunciation. Same with affect and effect. I didn't realize they had a difference pronunciation. I have a lisp thanks to an open bite maybe that's why I struggle I don't know.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/affect-vs-effect-usage-difference
I infected you with this certain effect which has affected you
Yes! I cannot get these right to save my life ha
Who and Whom have entered the chat
Whenever someone says whom, I imagine their pinky has to be out
The arrow affected the ardvark. The effect was eye popping!
Can people stop saying affect is a verb and effect is a noun?
The effects of your post are affecting me quite negatively.
relevant xkcd
I'm 25 and I still can't figure out which to use in what circumstance. I've just been too lazy to look it up too. I don't even know if I'd believe somebody trying to correct me because they'd probably give me the wrong answer too.
You're affected by the effects of your confusion and laziness.
Lay and lie.
Compliment and complement would like to disagree with you, in principle and in principal.
Affect - Action. Both start with A Effect - End result. Both start with E.
LOL today one of my coworkers sent me an email and he always loves to drop “please advice” 🤣
Best thing about English; nobody else really knows for certain. Take a guess and with enough confidence you're suddenly correct because people just assumed you already knew you were. We've made up and lost words by this very mechanism hundreds of times. He'll, we lost a few letters even.
The similarity and parallel (and the difficulty in distinguishing them) is not a coincidence. Unlike they're/their/there, they are not merely homophones. The difference is downright duplicitous, and goes to the root of metaphysics and consciousness.
I STILL can’t get them right. I am 26 yo, and same boat as you. I am great with other grammar but those two words get me confused all the time.
It is possible to effect an affect and to affect an effect.
College composition professor taught me something very useful. Drop affect and effect from your vocabulary. Use "impact" for both instead. Done.
I honestly find then and than worse. Like I can work affect and effect through my head if I try but deciding between then and than is typically me staring at it going "that's not the right one" with no clue why...but feeling right on what I end up on 😅
Just remember boys and girls, the one that starts with an "A" is the verb.. I hope this affects your memory banks... The effects can be short term unfortunately. 🙂
Affluent and effluent make sense because the mean the opposite. Effect and affect can fuck off. I started seeing affect pop up recently in forums and the like too.
affect is a verb, effect is a noun. Thats like second grade type shit
Naah you're affected by an effect affecting you right? Ez
I would argue Flammable and inflammable are worse simply because people have probably been injured as a result
Yep i AGREE
I don't know, I think there's worse, like except & accept.
Effect is a noun and affect is a verb.
I always have to say this Grammar Girl saying to remind me, "The arrow Affected the Aardvark, the Effect was devastating." Or something like that, I don't remember it exactly, but it serves its purpose.
A=verb. E=noun. Pretty simple really
You know it's hard to understand the difference when it's difficult to find grammar nazis trying to correct people on it despite how often people use it incorrectly
I think that accept and except are worse - not because it is hard to remember which is which, but because if you mess it up, it almost reverses the meaning of your sentence. I used speech to text the other day, and it swapped “excepted” for “accepted”. Doesn’t make sense, but it made me feel like an idiot.
GENERALLY, affect is a verb and effect is a noun.
I just learned more about grammar, election3, and gaming in one go than I learned about grammar all through school. Impressive.
Isn't affect just having an effect on smth?
These are the things that make me grateful my first language is English. Imagine coming from a logical language and trying to learn this jerryrigged pigeon garbage masquerading as a language- Ive been an ELS tutor- spent a lot of time apologizing TBH
My first language is Spanish, but at 5, my language became English. I know that effect is an end result and affect is an action, but that’s about it. In context, I never know, so just guess and hope my grammar tool corrects me.
Bruh I am not even a native english speaker and I not once confused those words. It's same with capitol and capital. First one is a building, it's not hard to remember a single damn letter.
Damnit, I was trying to work out how to describe the difference but now I've said both words so many times that neither of them means anything to me anymore. I agree with op. Despite usually knowing the difference, they're a shit pair of words.
I have English as my second language and I don't get how your issue cannot be solved with a quick Google search. The meanings are pretty straightforward
Special effects affect how films are made. It's not that difficult imho (native spanish speaker btw, get you shit together).
Get your shit together.
Affect is a verb. Effect is noun.
affect is a verb, effect is a noun
effect is a noun, affect is a verb
Affect = fuck around
Emigrant and immigrant? Then and than?
Every time I have to write it in an email or report I IM my colleague Trevor. He’s smart and knows how to use them correctly. Next time, just IM Trevor.
Affect is a verb effect is a noun. Easy peasy.
Effect is a thing (personal effects). Affect is a process (covid affected my lungs). If you know their, there, they're, this is just as simple.
Same here honestly when it comes the time to use either word, I use my intuition. Whatever my brain tells me is what I put 😂 then look it up to see if it makes any sense.
Affect is a verb, or an action. Effect is a noun, or an effect. Affect is used like “Eating only fast foods affect your physical and mental health”, while effect is used like “An effect of only eating fast foods is a degradation in physical and mental health.”
I just use effect and people can use context to know which one I mean,
A is for action (affect); E is for end result (effect)
Wait, "your" is not the same as "you'r"?
Can someone remine me the "your" meaning?
How is this an unpopular opinion? Lol
Sometimes it hard to do word
Words is hard
Same here OP!! Those words need to be stricken from the English language pronto!
Affect is generally a verb and effect is a noun. The only time affect is a noun is when talking about facial expressions i.e. "flat affect"
An effect is a thing that happens, the affect is the result of something happening
The earthquake had the effect of causing a tsunami, which negatively affected the coastal communities
It is still much better than advice and advise.
You can Affect the Effect, but cannot Effect the Affect.
An effect exists, affect is happening. Sometimes i just dont give enough fucks, but the rules sre simple enough if you care about them.
I'm someone who was good at spelling most of my early life and still used 'effect' as a verb for most of my life until a few years ago when I realized it was supposed to be affect.
The word ‘impact’ can most of the time be used in place of either. Something is impacted by something else, or it impacts something else.
Poison’s effect, affects your…
I always have issues with this especially when I write emails at work
And yet are entirely different!
A comes before E. You have to affect something before there's an effect
Due to the effect of the financial crisis, the affected people cannot afford housing these days.
I know the difference but it’s certainly a frustrating similarity.
What about commendation, and condemnation?
Affect is a verb, effect is a noun. Use impact if you can’t figure it out though.
affect verb
The effect of this effect is affecting it
Affect is Action
There, there now. Their uses and meanings could be clearer, but they're not that bad.
Just don’t use effect as a verb.
I just use the word impact for both
Effect is a noun. Affect is a verb
It's really not that hard. Affect is a verb, effect is a noun.
You can affect an effect.
Affect has an impact, effect is the result of the impact.
What about tear and tear?
affect = influence, effect = consequence. affect means to have an effect on something.
Effect. As in visual effect.
Yes, but how will we ever affect change when the effect of using affect properly is a bit of an affect?
Then &than... Their, there, and they're... Your & you're.
Tear or tear?
What you said affects me. But I'm glad you didn't use any special effects
Effect is making something happen and affect is having something happen.
than and then?
affect acts as a verb, effect acts as a noun
Affect = Verb
I avoid those words all together
Affect is the action, so it starts with “A”.
RAVEN
Except and Expect
Affect is a verb (a in both affect and action). Effect is a noun (parentheses for this one so its not left out).
Affect - Fuck Around Effect - Find Out
I agree. As smart as I am, it takes me a minute to decipher the two
I remember it by:
Affect is the verb effect is a noun
His actions affected my feelings deeply.
I always remember special effects and affectations. Special effects are the result of a computer program. Affectations are what you do to affect how other people see you.
Use Impact instead
"Affect" is a verb, "effect" is a noun.
“Affect” is also a noun, and “effect” is also a verb.