iPass Word of the Week
Every week we’ll be looking at one word and showing how you can use it in Academic English and everyday speech. This week’s word is AFFECT.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’? Do you ever get them mixed up? Try this easy way to remember the difference.
‘affect’ is a verb - something affects you, which means it changes you or influences you
‘effect’ is a noun - something has an effect on you, which means it changes you or influences you
So, the meaning is the same but the way you use the two words in a sentence is different
How can I remember which is which?
Think of an example sentence that will stay in your memory - something strange or funny
The abominable avalanche affected me awfully.
OR
The exquisite elephant had an everlasting effect on me.
Ok, so you might not be able to use these sentences in your everyday conversations, but they might help you to remember which is the noun and which is the verb.
So, here are some other example sentences that you CAN use in your writing or speech:
The new voting system clearly affected the overall election results.
It has been proven that poor diet at home affects children’s concentration levels in school.
City centres with no environmental policies are seriously affected by high pollution levels.
“I realise now that I was deeply affected by my parent’s divorce.”
“My words of warning didn’t affect his decision to take the risk.”
“The side effects of the treatment are affecting him badly.”