Please. I have looked it up on Google multiple times and still cannot figure it out. Please help and use both in a five year old sentence!
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When I was taught the difference I was taught this: “you affect the effect” so the affect comes first, and causes an effect.
To “affect” is to have an impact on someone or something, or to make a change.
An “effect” is what changed or how something has changed (as in “side effect”).
To “affect” a change is to make a change that has a meaningful “effect” or result.
Affect is the verb. Effect is the result, a noun.
People sometimes get the two mixed up, but you cannot Effect the outcome of something, but you CAN affect the outcome of something.
BUT! Like all language rules, there are exceptions. In this case, there is a specific usage of effect which is contrary to the above. When you say “to effect change” it means “to do something which _affects_ something which results in a change”. You wouldn’t say “to affect change”, that would mean you’re doing something to, you’re affecting _the change_, not doing something to bring the change about. “To effect change” is used to refer to “doing something to bring the change about.”
I’m not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but here we go! (I’ll be capitalizing for emphasis)
Think of **Affect** as impact Ahead of time
and **Effect** as the End result
Ex.
– My mood **Affected** my ability to be social.
– The uneven floor **Affected** how the marble rolled.
– The light hit the water just right, causing rainbows, and the **Effect** was magical.
– I wanted to come off as funny, but kept making ill-timed jokes…the **Effect** was less than desirable.
Affect = Impact.
Effect = Impact.
Never use affect/effect. They are confusing to the point of meaninglessness.
Simple: “affect” is a verb and “effect” is a noun.
The only notable exception is the verb “to effect” meaning “to cause or bring about” (as in “to effect change”). “Affect” can also be a noun but only in psychological jargon, so the above rule will be true almost all the time.
Affect: to have an effect/to make a difference
Effect: a change that results from an action or other cause
Example:
Diet choices affect my weight.
Obesity is a side effect of of eating badly.
A ffect is for A ctions, aka verbs.
So if you could replace it with another verb, like a form of “eat,” use “A ffect”
“The man a/effected his friend” becomes “The man ate his friend” –> gruesome, but it happens. So: “The man affected his friend.”
Vs: “The man had an a/effect on his friend” becomes “The man had an eat.. had an eaten… had an ate… his friend” –> nothing makes sense. So: “The man had an effect on his friend.”
If u dont know the difference between verbs and nouns just try to put “the” in front of it. “The” only ever makes sense when you say “the effect” with an e, never with an a.
A guy I used to work with has a newspaper clipping of basically this in his cube, I thought it explained it nicely.
https://images.app.goo.gl/HKyof5pQ97Vxtray9
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