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Is it just a matter of context?
As a native speaker I'm able to use the words correctly in the right context,
but I'll be damned if I can explain why or what are the grammatical rules.
Is it just another idiosyncrasy of English that has arisen over the centuries?
Affect | Define Affect at Dictionary.com
Effect | Define Effect at Dictionary.com
Affect 1 and effect, each both noun and verb, share the sense of “influence,” and because of their similarity in pronunciation are sometimes confused in writing. As a verb affect 1 means “to act on” or “to move” ( His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept ); affect 2 means “to pretend” or “to assume” ( new students affecting a nonchalance they didn't feel ). The verb effect means “to bring about, accomplish”: Her administration effected radical changes.
Affect is a verb, meaning to cause something to happen. Effect is a noun, which is the result of having happened. Here are two sentences that illustrate:
Mary wondered if her tutoring of John would beneficially affect his grades. ( "Affect" to cause his grades to improve --Verb)
John got an A on his exam, due to the positive effect of Mary's tutoring. ("Effect" the positive result of Mary's tutoring -- Noun)
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The guy constantly affected an air of smug thainess that had the effect of causing others, even thai's, to think he was a tosser.
Kiwis wouldn't know the difference, - and that's a fect
They can both be used as nouns & verbs, but in general, you're right.Quote:
Originally Posted by Latindancer
So "The effect will be......." is something that already has happened? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by allen04
I think it is better if native English speakers explains the difference, not Thais.
Marmite did a good explanation.
One of my students asked me exactly the same question at the weekend. I told her the short, general answer: usually, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. No point in complicating the explanation at her level.
^ Then how do you expect to effect any change in her ability?
Crap answer.Quote:
Originally Posted by benbaaa
"Teacher, what is the difference between eat and pencil?"
"Well, eat is usually a verb whilst pencil is usually a noun"
:(
You lot are fukin retards, you do know that don't you...
Ok...you caught me out. I forgot to include the word "usually". I'll pencil you in for a green when I have ammo.:)
Thanks all, will stick to the general rule then. ;)
Affect = verb
Effect = noun
My laughter during her Tae Kwon Do exam affected her concentration, the effect was that she failed.
It wasn't a problem with the referential meaning, but her mixing up her effects and affects in sentences. If she'd been mixing up her eats and pencils, we'd have had a lot more to discuss.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bettyboo
And anyway, I was hungry and wanted to get home to a nice supper. :D
No. They are both about influence, but the nuance is that affect is more like "to move"; and effect is more like "to accomplish".Quote:
Originally Posted by Neo
Verbs
Affect = to cause a feeling to occur (physical or emotional)
To affect someone/something = to have an influence a change on something, physically or emotionally
e.g.: - affected by cold, by pain, and by depression
Effect = to make something happen
To effect a change = to actively make a change happen
Nouns
Affect = the results of a change or event in terms of symptoms or feelings
(also Affectation = a poncy goatie or way of walking often practiced by sexual deviants)
Effect = the results of a change or event caused a specific cause, agent, actor (i.e. person or event)
e.g.: the after-effects of the earthquake were simulated with special effects, and the drama affected the audience profoundly.
(also, Effects = personal belongings, like all those dirty schoolgirls' knickers you keep in that dusty leather suitcase in the loft).
Cheers ;)
special effects have a strange affect on me
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainNemo
It's obviously not that simple; dictionnary style definitions should not be used as a teaching method, imho...Quote:
Originally Posted by bash street gang
Words are not easy to teach, they take some time, and need some 'playing around' as well as a little linguistics. For these words I might start by telling the g/f: both are verbs and nouns, they might conceiveably by used in other forms too. I like the idea above that they both inherently involve a force dynamic; with affect usually 'acting upon' and effect usually 'acted upon'. But, these words have been around for many years, and thus, like most, if not all, other words, they have developed other meanings; usually, these meanings are parallel in some way or a type of metaphor (used in its widest form) of the original term. At this stage, I'd be onto google and see what real world uses spring up; after playing around with a few pages of google results the g/f should have a fair idea of the meanings, so get her to originate some uses; play around with the words (maybe in the bedroom...), use all the forms you can of both words, extend the word forms if she's able - adverbs, add participles (ing/ed/en/etc). By this stage, the words are starting to be learnt well...
With so much argument about the difference between "effect" and "affect" does it really matter except in the case of very precise documents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deronda
All depends on whether you wish to utilize the language correctly, or not.
Seeing as he appears to be in Adelaide, I'd guess not.Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis KnowltonQuote:
Originally Posted by Deronda
All depends on whether you wish to utilize the language correctly, or not.
Of course it does, unless you are a fucking illiterate. In any case, there is no argument as to usage since the rules are well defined.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deronda
might as well use toilet and to let interchangeably
What difference does it make if you use affect or effect? Neither word could be used in Thailand with any understanding.
Helping Thai students to effectively communicate in English would be something - even if it were not grammatically correct communication.
So I'd go with the simple noun/verb explanation.