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SkarbOna t1_j9v93k9 wrote

Something is affecting you causing an effect? Can something cause affect? Or something can be effecting? That’s the way how I would start unpicking it if someone could explain to me as well.

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lotsofmaybes t1_j9v9ai5 wrote

" Affect means to produce a change or influence something, as in 'The weather affects my mood.' It can also refer to someone's emotional state, as in 'She was deeply affected by the news.'

Effect, on the other hand, refers to the result or outcome of an action or event, as in 'The effect of the medicine was immediate.' It can also be used to describe a particular impression or atmosphere, as in 'The movie had a spooky effect.' "

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dshookowsky t1_j9v9cc1 wrote

If I pinch your arm, I have affected you. The effect is the pain and redness where you were pinched.

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mrspyguy t1_j9vajwh wrote

You’ve got it about as distilled as it gets, if you’re still having trouble you may want to reinforce your understanding of nouns and verbs (don’t worry it’s complex!)

Clues for “effect”

  • may have an article preceding it (the, a)
  • may have an adjective describing it (brutal effect)

Clues for “affect”

  • may be found between two nouns (I affect you)
  • if conjugated with “-ed” or “-ing” you are dealing with affect

Gotchas:

  • there is a noun affect and a verb effect but they are not as commonly used as the familiar versions
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linguistikate t1_j9vc4pr wrote

To make it even more confusing for you, affect can also be a noun and effect can also be a verb.

  • Somebody can have a strange "affect" e.g. they come across as a strange person.

  • You can effect change, as in make change happen.

In the most common use though, effect is a noun and affect is a verb: if something affects you it has a big effect on you.

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writergal75 t1_j9vedzi wrote

It truly is as simple as using affect as a verb and effect as a noun. Asking yourself the question, “Is this a verb or noun?” will always help.

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PerkyMooseTits t1_j9w6bu5 wrote

For most common cases affect is a verb and effect is a noun, for help memorizing use “RAVEN” Remember Affect Verb Effect Noun.

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