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Monday 6 April 2020

What is the difference between affect and effect - meaning of affect and effect with examples

If you are reading this article, you probably have lost enough hair already trying to get clarity on the difference between affect and effect. More than the meaning of affect and effect, the main problem is, these words are so similar that people tend to replace 'affect' with 'effect' and vice versa. This just adds up to the confusion. For starters, without asking any questions here, blindly keep one thing in mind. Affect is a verb. Effect is a noun. Now, gently open your eyes and see the following meaning for each word.

Meaning of affect:
If you refer to Google, you will know that affect has different meanings and is also a noun. But, the verb form of affect is commonly used worldwide. So, let us just stick to the verb form.

affect (verb) - it means changing something in a negative way.

To make you never forget meaning of affect, remember this. Affect starts with A. Ability also starts with A. Hence, affect has the ability to change something. The change is always negative. When Peter Parker became a Spider-Man after a spider bit him, no one said that  Peter was affected by the spider and he became a superhero. So, 'affect' is always used to indicate a downfall or something bad.

Examples:
1) The nation-wide lockdown seems to be affecting Jonathan's health, physically and mentally.
2) In the year, 2020, the then novel Coronavirus affected the livelihoods of people all over the world.
3) Many experts fear that the latest financial bill passed by the legislative assembly might affect the people who are below the poverty line.
4) I strongly believe that humanity is about helping mankind thrive without affecting the nature which is the mother of all living creatures.

Meaning of effect:
I am sure you would have heard phrases like, side-effects of certain drugs, effects of global warming, etc. Let us take an imaginary example. You have been swimming for 5 days now. Now, you feel so fit. This is the effect, swimming had on you. The word 'effect' is not just used to denote something negative. It can also mean something positive like in the example of swimming. Let us now see the meaning of effect.

effect (noun) - the change something or someone experiences during or after a process. This change can be good or bad.

Examples:
1) Pain-killers always have a soothing effect on injuries.
2) The foul smell which came up all of a sudden in the elevator, did not have any effect on James. He showed no facial expressions.
3) Many youngsters don't realize the serious effects liquor drinking could have on their health in the future.
4) The voice of my English teacher, Rachael, always had a calming effect on my classmates during our schooldays.
5) The world needed a person like Mahatma Gandhi to show the extraordinary effects non-violence could have on any battle.

To summarize this article on 'what is the difference between affect and effect', affect is a verb and effect is a noun. Feel free to post your comments below and don't forget to follow this blog for more useful articles.

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