Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
AFFECT / EFFECT
As verbs, affect can mean have influence on someone or something while effect means bring about something:
We need to favorably affect the earth’s atmosphere by reducing our carbon footprint in order to effect a vital reduction in global warming.
Most often, however, the word effect is used as a noun:
Humanity’s carbon footprint is having a negative effect on the earth’s atmosphere.
INCORRECT: How will the closing of the factory effect the town?
CORRECT: How will the closing of the factory affect the town?
INCORRECT: In order to affect this change in policy, we’ll need to hire more people.
CORRECT: In order to effect this change in policy, we’ll need to hire more people.
ALSO CORRECT: If we can effect these desired changes in our company, it should affect our employees in a beneficial way, which would result in the added effect of boosting our public image.
If this all seems too confusing, perhaps the safest way to go is to think of affect as a verb and effect as a noun and use some other word or phrase to mean to bring about.
© 2022 Ann Henry. All Rights Reserved.