English Grammar: Usage of Affect Vs. Effect

According to Mignon Fogarty, host of the podcast "Grammar Girl," the most requested grammar question is the difference between "affect" and "effect." She points out that although there are unusual exceptions, for the most part "affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun.

Affect (Verb) - Having an Influence

When "affect" is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, it serves as a verb, meaning to have an influence on, as in "Lack of rain will affect a lawn."

Affect (Verb) - To Make a Display

Another meaning of the word "affect" is to behave pretentiously, says the online version of Common Errors in English Usage, as in "He affects a British accent, but he's really from New Jersey."

Affect (Noun) - Emotion

A less common usage of the word "affect" is as a noun. Pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, it is sometimes used by a psychiatrist or psychologist to indicate a person's display of emotion or feeling.

Effect (Noun) - Result

The most common use of the word "effect" is as a noun, meaning a result or consequence. "Shorter days and cooler nights have the effect of causing the leaves to fall." "Affect" and "effect" have a related meaning but are two different parts of speech: when you "affect" something, you have an "effect."

Effect (Verb) - To Make Happen

In a less common usage of the word, "effect" can also be a verb meaning to make happen or to bring about: "The new mail-in ballot effected a change in people's voting habits."

References

• Grammar Girl: Affect Versus Effect
• Common Errors in English Usage: Affect/Effect