effect vs affect............discuss

[Sperk]

n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Affect connotes an emotional effect.

[Demit]

2. both can be nouns; both can be verbs

[Kindigger]

3. I get them mixed up all the time!

:(

[AllegroRondo]

4. Thank god for grammar check

[RebelOne]

5. If you use the grammar check in Word,

it never catches that.

[AllegroRondo]

9. Thank god my boss doesnt know that

[Ready4Change]

6. Not sure if I'm right. This is how I think of them.

Affect starts with A, effect starts with E. So affect comes first. That makes sense, as attempts to affect something creates effects.

Is that anywhere even close? :D

[Demit]

8. unless you are a direct agent: e.g., you "effect change".

[RebelOne]

7. From "Woe Is I."

If you're referring to a thing (a noun), 99 times out of 100 you mean effect. If you mean an action (a verb), the odds are just as good if you go for affect.

[quaoar]

10. The general rule

Affect is a verb; effect is a noun

America has been adversely affected by Bush.
Bush has had a terrible effect on America.

[RUDUing2]

11. Affect donates an action..effect donates a reaction...at least I think

that is how it goes...

[Wilber_Stool]

12. When it comes to grammar

all I can do is cut and paste.

Usage Note: Affect and effect have no senses in common. As a verb affect is most commonly used in the sense of “to influence” (how smoking affects health). Effect means “to bring about or execute”: layoffs designed to effect savings. Thus the sentence These measures may affect savings could imply that the measures may reduce savings that have already been realized, whereas These measures may effect savings implies that the measures will cause new savings to come about.

[rman]

13. i guess that's a valid topic for discussion,

given the declining quality of education, and given that dictionaries would be one of the first things not to buy when one is short on income.

but then perhaps DU should have a seperate forum for English education.