To put a fine point on it, ‘affect’ is usually something that happens to the subject or object of a sentence. Through her rage, Stella affected a smile.Despite his panic, Mo affected a calm demeanor.Tommy’s heartfelt words affected Maisy.Īffecting can mean pretending to be feeling or thinking something.It can be to produce a mental effect or move someone’s emotions. To affect is to produce a physical effect or change through action. we'll look at some exceptions to our definitions) When do you use ‘affect’?įirst of all, let’s look up the most common dictionary definitions and see if they can affect your ability to remember what the word means! Affect ( verb)

To clear the haze, this post will help you lock in the meaning of these two words with a few simple memory tricks! (Plus.

For example, “The news affected her mood” or “Studying had a positive effect on his grades.”Įven if you’re a card-carrying member of the grammar police, the words affect and effect are easily confused.

Affect is a verb, or an action, that means “to impact or cause change.” On the other hand, effect is a noun that refers to a result or outcome. Affect and effect are homophones (words that sound alike) that are often confused, but have different meanings.

Have that effect on you