Affect and Effect and Why We Hate Them

I think this is everybody’s least favorite grammar conundrum–affect or effect?

Granted, it’s annoying…but for the moment there is still a distinction between the two and you’ll look like a super cool style maven if you can remember it.

Here’s the trick:

“Affect” with the A is always a verb (with one exception*) and it always means “change” or “alter.” If you can swap the word in question with “alter,” the one you are after is “affect.” LIKE THIS: “The magical spell affected Eloise in startling new ways, such as her taste for munching on raw mice.”

“Effect” with an E can be a noun, which “affect” cannot. If the word in question is a noun, you want “effect.” LIKE THIS: “The effect of the magical spell was quite noticeable at dinner parties.”

“Effect” with an E can also, alas, be a verb, meaning “to bring about or cause.” LIKE THIS: “Will the magical spell effect a rupture between Eloise and her beloved Antonio?” But please note that this verb cannot be replaced with the verb “alter.” It is therefore “effect” with the E.

So your first question, when confronted with the affect/effect conundrum, is: noun or verb? If it’s a noun, it’s easy: effect. If it’s a verb, can it be replaced with “alter“? If so, “affect.” If not, “effect” again.

* The exception: “affect” is used by psychologists as a noun to mean “appearance or demeanor.” This is something you can ignore unless you are a psychologist.

* Also an exception: “Affect” can also mean “choose to wear or do in a pretentious and silly manner.” LIKE THIS: “Antonio affected a dashing hat with a feather to draw Eloise’s attention.” This is rare and can generally be ignored. If you’re using “affect” like this you presumably know what you’re doing.