8 Responses to “Help!”

1. Ahistoricality Says:
   April 24th, 2007 at 1:09 pm

   If it has an effect, it affects something.

   For most purposes, effect is a noun, and affect is a verb.

   That’s as far as I go in the Grammar Patrol game: I now pass it off so the more writerly readers to complicate and clarify things.

2. Bluegrass Poet Says:
   April 24th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

   I would say, Ahistorically, that no complication is necessary. Effect is usually a noun. Affect is usually a verb. Other uses of these two words are esoteric and one probably need not worry about them.

3. *** Dave Says:
   April 24th, 2007 at 8:37 pm

   Something *has* an effect.
   Something *affects* something else.

   (Or, to complicate things further, a person can have low *affect*, in terms of demonstration of emotional reaction, but that’s a more specialized use.)

   (And someone can *effect* something, in terms of effecting a rescue. Again, not as common a use.)

4. Burrow Says:
   April 24th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

   Effect means “to bring about”
   Affect means “to influence”

   You need Strunk & White’s Elements of Style (everyone does)

5. Sage Says:
   April 25th, 2007 at 11:53 am

   I have issues with this one too, so I use the rule, if I can put “an” or “the” infront of it, I should use “effect” (because it’s a noun, like everyone said, but I don’t typically think of words as parts of speech like that).

6. Terry Says:
   April 25th, 2007 at 3:44 pm

   Thanks, everyone! Noun/verb - I can handle that. I like the “the” suggestion, too, Sage. That’s going to be very helpful.

7. Little Ms. Blog Says:
   April 26th, 2007 at 2:52 am

   I know you already have the whole effect/affect puzzle figured out, Terry, but there’s this great podcast on affect/effect at
   Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tricks to Better Writing Check it out: I like her humor! My students love her!

8. Terry Says:
   April 26th, 2007 at 2:01 pm

   Looks like a great resource, Ms. Blog - I’ll check it out. Thanks!

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