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Affect vs. Effect 10817 Views


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Description:

This video explains the difference between affect and effect and provide tips for remembering which is which and when to use each one. If you suffer from Affect-Effect Switcheroo Syndrome, this video could be the cure.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

Affect versus Effect, a la Shmoop. If you suffer from Affect-Effect Switcheroo

00:10

Syndrome, don’t worry… you’re not alone. It’s an easily curable grammatical disease…

00:15

here’s the first thing you need to know:

00:18

Generally speaking, “affect” spelled with an “a” is a verb...

00:19

...and “effect” spelled with an “e” is a noun.

00:22

The verb “affect”...

00:23

...that's “affect” with an “a”...

00:28

...means “to influence” or “to change.”

00:32

The movie “Twilight” affected Joe Bob's faith in humanity.

00:36

Yeah, it affected ours, too. The verb “affect”...

00:39

...that's “affect” with an “a” again...

00:41

...can also mean “to act in a way you don't feel.”

00:43

Joe Bob affected a love for “Twilight” so Betty Jean would go out with him. Yeah…

00:48

Betty Jean is smokin' hot. Now, the noun “effect”...

00:53

...that's “effect” with an “e”...

00:56

...essentially means “a result.”

00:58

For example, Sue watched the movie Grown-Ups so many times that it had a negative effect

01:03

on her brain cells.

01:05

Want help remembering which is which?

01:07

Affect is a verb… and starts with the same letter as action.

01:11

Effect is a noun… and starts with the same letter as entity.

01:14

Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rules…

01:18

…for example, if you do something nice for Mother Earth, it could be said that you are

01:22

“effecting change”…

01:24

…but as long as you remember that affect with an a is almost always a verb and effect

01:29

with an e is almost always a noun… you’ll be good to go.

01:33

And that’s… a-fact.

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