Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

I resemble that remark
Misspelled and misused words

AFFECT VERSUS EFFECT

You can’t depend on your spell-checker to make final decisions when it highlights suspicious words. For example, neither of the following sentences has a misspelled word; they both are correct but have different meanings.

The law before Congress will effect a widespread change in small businesses. (effect: —to cause)

The law before Congress will affect a widespread change in small businesses. (affect: —to involve or influence)

The choice between the two can be enormous.

The most common mistake, however, with these two words—and a usage that’s always wrong—is this: Affect is never a noun. (Note: The one exception to the broad generalization I just made is that affect is a noun, a technical term, in the specialized fields of psychiatry or psychology. But don’t let that one exception keep you from latching onto this otherwise very helpful memory aid.)

Incorrect:

I work for an inspiring manager, and she has a big affect on how well I do my job.

Correct:

I work for an inspiring manager, and she has a big effect on how well I do my job. (influence)

Here’s a rule of thumb that will help you keep these two words straight about 90 percent of the time:

When you need a noun, typically you need effect. (Occasionally, it’s a verb.)

When you need a verb, you need affect.

The tricky part is the other 10 percent of the time: Effect can be both a noun and a verb. As a verb, it means “to cause.” As a noun, it means “a cause” or “a result.”

Examples with Effect (noun: a result or a cause):

The effect of his decision will be devastating.

I’m not sure what effect his transfer will have on the new managers.

The effects of the heavy wind were evident to our factory visitors.

Examples with Effect (verb: to cause):

Merit raises of 15 percent will effect a boost in morale.

A downsizing always effects massive change in a company’s culture.

The roll-ups of several small companies have effected an industry upheaval unlike anything we’ve seen in the past three decades.

Examples with Affect (verb: to influence or involve):

That policy affects my paycheck.

His decision affects my career.

The weather affects the distribution of our product.

Memory tip

Affect starts with —a; it’s an action word—the verb. Affect can never be a noun (exception: in psychiatry).

The effect (result) of learning the difference between the two words will positively affect (influence) your career.