Affect Vs Effect Usage

Is it 'Affects of Greenhouse Gases' or 'Effects of Greenhouse Gases'. So many people spend a life time trying to dissect this problem. What 'effect' does 'affect' have?

Affect vs Effect Usage

Well, let us go back to the basics of English language grammar. Remember nouns and verbs? Let me revise those for you. Nouns are those parts of speech that give a name or an identity to a person, a place or a thing. For example, your name is a noun; a table, which is the name given to a particular object, is a noun. Verbs, on the other hand are those parts of speech which describe an action, whether past, present or future. What you are doing at the present moment, or what you did, or what you are planning to do is described by a verb. Hence if you were asleep, the corresponding verb describing that action is 'to sleep'. If you are working, the corresponding verb describing this action is 'to work'. Thus keeping this distinction in mind, let us proceed to the issue of effect vs affect definition.

The Usual Effect vs Affect Usage
Now, 'effect' is predominantly used as a noun. It is used to name an outcome or a consequence of a particular event. Suppose some part of the world receives unusually heavy rainfall, the result or the effect of that is a flood. So the noun 'effect' is used to name a flood. Similarly, the outcome of prices increasing is a reduction in demand. Hence 'effect' is used to name reduction in demand. Hence keeping this in mind, we can say 'effects of heavy rainfall' and 'effects of rising prices'. In both these cases, effect is used as a noun. More examples on noun usage of 'effect':

• Effects of growth of population
• Effects of greenhouse gases

In the above examples, 'effect' is the name of all the consequences.

On the other hand, 'affect' is predominantly used as a verb. The infinitive form of this word is 'to affect'. This word is used to define a situation where one situation or thing impacts another. Affect means 'to impact'. For example, increase in cholesterol 'affects' us. This means that when there is an increase in cholesterol levels in the body, it causes a change, a shift from one case to another. Similarly, when we say that a death of a friend 'affects' us, we mean that due to the death of a friend, there is some change from our past state to the present state. More examples of verb usage of affect:

• How does smoking affect us?
• The rain affected the crops

In both these sentences, 'affect' is used to show the action of an impact one thing has on the other.

It is all good till here to remember that 9 times out of 10, 'effect' will be used as a noun and 9 times out of 10, 'affect' will be used as a verb. But the problem starts here, effect vs affect verb. The thing is that the tenth time, there is a chance of a role reversal in the affect vs effect usage.

The Unusual (but grammatically correct) Affect vs Effect Usage
There are some cases where 'effect' is used as a verb. It is used to imply a change like 'affect' is, but there is a small difference. When you 'effect' something, you accomplish or make something happen. For example: The invention of the steam engine is said to have effected the Industrial Revolution. Here the word 'effect' is used to mean a positive change caused due to something or some event. So what is the difference between affect and effect when used as verbs? 'Affect' means the end result while 'effect' is something that may still be in progress More examples on verb usage of 'effect':

• His dire condition effected a change in me.
• Martin Luther King Jr effected a change in the thinking of the American people.

Both these sentences show that 'effect' is the action a situation had on a consequence.

The word 'affect' may also be used as a noun, but this is a very simple case to identify. 'Affect' is used as a noun only in case of psychological or psychiatry related terms. Here's an example of noun usage of affect:

• A blunted affect may perhaps be a symptom of some kind of mental illness
• She had a happy affect

In both these sentences, 'affect' gives a name to a feeling.

So this was all about affect vs effect usage. But affect vs effect practice is very essential so that you know the exact meaning of the words, and can use them without any mistakes. Some basic grammar exercises and continuous practice while talking to your friends will make sure that the problem of effect vs affect never bothers you again. Read more about rules of English grammar.