Affect as a Noun
Let’s look at the unusual case where affect is a noun. In psychology, affect is used to describe
someone’s emotional state.
The red-haired woman’s affect had changed, but it wasn’t lustful happiness — more like
terminal boredom.
Effect as a Verb
And finally, effect can be a verb that means “to bring about or produce.”
Albert was dismayed to find that his spell had not effected the change he had wanted.
Instead, his stage rabbit jumped up and began to compulsively nibble on his ear.
The moral of the story?
Affect is almost always a verb, which has an effect that is a noun. To remember the rest,
just think about Albert and Esmeralda.
And don’t give strange magicians any of your personal effects.
Bonus Word: Address
Since I am addressing affect vs. effect, it makes sense for me to talk about address, which can
be difficult to spell. Think of add + dress – the first has two “d”s, and the second has two “s”s.
Put them together and you have address.
Esmeralda was not going to add that magician’s name to her address book. Not only
was he an awful magician — he was terribly dressed. And that rabbit accessory sure
wasn’t helping.
------Definitions are from Garner’s Modern American Usage, with some help from the site Common Errors in English Usage.
Doorway Between Worlds
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Summer/Fall 2015
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