Affect versus Effect
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Many people have trouble deciding between affect and effect. This is a common problem in English, basically because the two words sound so similar. It is easy to learn the difference.
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Affect
Affect is almost always used as a verb. Typically, when someone wants to say that something has had an impact on something else, their will use the verb affect.
Correct
- The price of gas will affect the economy over time.
- You can affect the lives of the people around you.
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Effect
Effect is almost always used as a noun. When people talk about the causes of an event, they also talk about the effects. An effect is what is created.
It can also be a verb, meaning to bring something about, as in our actions effected a changed in his behavior.
Correct
- It is hard to say what effect the medication will have.
- Storms, while tragic, generally do not have long lasting effects.
