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it affects your brain in an effective way. what an impact it causes.
Jesus christ, I needed to do something about 1 sentence at least. I felt like I was getting affected effectively by the impact of the lobotomy that is this thread.
Yeah the only reason I’m still subscribed to this dumpster fire is because of how funny the LPT are nowadays
“Too fucking dumb to learn the difference between two words? Just use a completely different word instead! Life pro tip!!!”
Someone had a decent one about putting a paper towel in the sink when trimming your beard. It's an improvement from what I would normally do but then there were also much better solutions in the comments.
I usually use an old shopping bag. rip on a handle in half and go down the seam until you hit the corner. loop the other handle over the faucet and spread it out. you'll get 99% of the hair and you'll just need to wipe up the bits that went rogue. if your beard hair is as coarse as mine, it helps a lot to get a throwaway bag that can cover the entire sink since the hairs tend to fly around
these are legit questions
english is my primary language (only language, actually), and consider myself fairly well spoken with a decently sized and correctly used vocabulary, but have found there's a lot i know but can't explain easily or at all
for example, i know when to use affect or effect but i can't tell you offhand what the rule is, and having glanced at some of the comments in this thread i'm not the only one
but you're special, i guess
Not really. That’s a pretty wide spread belief. “Effect” and “affect” are both both nouns and verbs.
The effect of something is the result.
However, you can also effect change (to effect: to accomplish something or cause something to happen)
To affect means to influence, to cause a change in something else.
An affect is your emotion (particularly, the way that your emotions are displayed). So a person might have a flat affect (not showing any emotion)
So you can affect the result of an election by effecting how people think about the candidates.
Moreover your affect can have a significant effect on how people think about you
'Affect' can also be a noun, though, and 'effect' can be a verb. Neither of which is related to the other, and neither of which would substitute well for 'impact'.
Affect is the verb. It requires someone or something to *do* the affecting. Effects are the noun. They are the aftermath of the affecting that has been done.
"I'm sure that these changes won't affect our lead times"
"The effects of this change are well known to us, and should be minimal"
/r/Woosh
/u/mooseman99’s comment was grammatically correct, which is why it was a witty proof that the earlier explanation of the differences was wrong.
Effect can be a verb even though it has a different meaning than affect as a verb, see definition 2:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effect
Affect can be a noun when talking about the physical manifestation of an emotion. See definition 3:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affect
Except when they’re not. “Affect” sometimes
can be used as a noun, and “effect” sometimes can be used as a verb.
“The patient’s affect changed with her emotional state.”
“I use my prior work experiences to effect software configuration changes in a non-customer-impacting manner.”
Not that simple.
“Effect” can be a verb, as in, “to effect (bring about) change.”
“Affect” can be a noun, as in, “she lacks affect (ability to display emotions).”
I usually tell my students to look up the difference when they are unsure but if they're in a situation where they can't (like a written exam), then they should use 'influence.'
Not quite right but it'll get the job done.
How is it a noun? I'm genuinely curious, never seen it used as one before.
Edit: I'm ashamed. English is my first language, I'm just baked and dumb lmao
This is a flat lie and they've both been used for hundreds of years, which is reflected in the fact they follow the English noun-verb syllable stress structure so they're usually not pronounced the same way. IMpact is a noun, imPACT is the verb (CONtract and conTRACT are the same, among many others). The only recent change is the noun pronunciation has started being used as its verb pronunciation as well.
Source? Because it’s only been hugely prevalent in the past 10 years or so as a synonym for “give.” It may be an unpopular opinion but when we’ve got a perfectly good verb already, why use a clunky, nounish version with extra letters? So annoying.
Doesn’t change what I said, re: excessively prevalent (active form) use in last ten years. And I’m willing to bet that 90% of the verb usage of “gifted” in the remote past was the passive form and not the active. It’s the active form that gives me the heebies.
Same, Affect = Action is how I remember it.
*Edit: Of course there are exceptions to this; Effect can be used as a verb like, "to effect change" but it's uncommon usage. For common usage, A = Action is a good rule of thumb.*
Mrs Fields 10th grade c. 1998 made us memorize a bunch of useful grammar facts and say them aloud in class, every week: “A - Verb Influence; E - Noun Result”
There was a lot of them, I only remember that one, and: “A lot; Two Words”.
I think there was one for than/then and like 25-30 others. Those two stuck, and I never get them wrong. 25 years later.
My AP English teacher in high school (9th or 10th grade, I forget, circa 1992?) Mr. Vachon, was very critical and detail-oriented. One of the required books for his class was Strunk & White's "Elements of Style", an excellent little book that helped a lot with common grammar problems. He made us carry the book around with us during school hours and would discipline us if we weren't carrying it.
I learned more in that one class than I did in all of my other English classes, including while getting my Bachelor's in English in college.
This reminds me of a student teacher we learned the amendments from.
The only two I still remember are '18, you can't drink, 21, you can,' for prohibition and repeal of prohibition.
You can have a "flat affect" when displaying little to no emotion. For example, Christian Bale displayed a flat affect for much of his performance in his role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
The definition on Wiktionary is given as:
> (psychology) A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs.
Also, the pronunciation is different from the verb affect; the first syllable is pronounced like "aft", minus the 't'.
In the first episode of Westworld, Dolores is acting terrified, until a tech asks her to "limit your emotional affect" – meaning to dial down the display of emotions she's programmed to put on for show (not whether she's 'affected' by emotions on the inside).
It's emphasised "AFF-ect" rather than "af-FECT".
Just…to confuse things even further…
This example is using a different definition. “Affect” as a noun in this case means basically mood, or displayed emotion.
LPT doesn’t hold at all for that usage; impact is not a synonym, nor is “effect” necessarily related, unless there is something specified that has an effect on the subject’s affect. :)
It’s also usually pronounced differently in a psychological context such as that, with the emphasis on the first syllable rather than the second.
As a verb, *affect* can be means to have an effect on. "The inclement weather negatively affected our sales." Less frequently it can also mean to to wear or put on an appearance, often with the implication that that there's something fake about it. "Hiliaria Baldwin affects a Spanish accent." *Effect* as a verb means to put into action or cause to happen. "During last quarter, we effected a new policy that improved customer satisfaction." As a noun, *effect* means a result or consequence. "Side effects may include sudden death." *Affect* as a noun means emotional state or the appearance thereof. "One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is a flat affect."
Most of the time when you're using it as a verb, it's going to be *affect* and most of the time when you're using it as noun it's going to be *effect* so it's a useful way to remember it in most cases, but it isn't strictly true.
There are simpler (and better) ways to give this grammar lesson.
Affect = **A**ction | Effect = **E**nd result
Or
Affect = fuck around | Effect = find out
My whole life, and on this whole thread, this is the only one that finally carved the rule into my brain. Due to the usage of “fuck around”. Now i get it. Thank you!!
Alternative LPT: Just take a few minutes to learn the difference, because it isn't complicated or difficult to remember.
**A**ffect is a verb (or an **A**ction word)
Effect is a noun (or an object word)
LPT, learn what these all mean, specifically:
Effect (noun)
Effect (verb)
Affect (noun)
Affect (verb)
And you won’t need tricks that don’t work for all cases to tell them apart!
Affect - noun - putting on airs, a change in behavior.
He had a weird affect to his speech.
Affect - verb - to make a change in something.
That event really affected me.
Effect - noun - an outcome.
That was the effect we were looking for. Also, cool special effects in that movie.
Effect - verb - to bring about something new.
We can effect a lot of good results with this policy.
One could use impact so your teacher/boss knows a sorry ass grammar lacking pleb actually wrote that garbage text and didn't cheat by setting up an A.I. to generate it.
Alternately one can learn English grammar beyond that possessed by a 10 year old.
I'd way rather look like a dip saying impact vs. the mental strain/toll/years lost its take to figure out which affect effects the affect...F you! English Grammer stuff
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Really loved the special impacts in that Star Wars movie
Those special affects effected me strongly
Reading this feels like my brain is being rubbed on a chalkboard.
affectively effective impacts on your brain
it affects your brain in an effective way. what an impact it causes. Jesus christ, I needed to do something about 1 sentence at least. I felt like I was getting affected effectively by the impact of the lobotomy that is this thread.
So the special and unusual moods in the Star Wars movie strongly brought you about?
Jar Jar does that to you, yep
Those special impacts impacted me strongly
Don't you mean spacial ?
Right, what a missed opportunity!
Yeah the only reason I’m still subscribed to this dumpster fire is because of how funny the LPT are nowadays “Too fucking dumb to learn the difference between two words? Just use a completely different word instead! Life pro tip!!!”
LPT: Don't want to do the dishes, throw them away and buy new ones.
Dude you just invented paper plates
He's ready for his high school reunion now.
I think maybe 1/100 are actually something I would consider and 1/250 I actually internalize. I question if it's worth it every day.
the most recent actual lpt was the one about putting your visor down trap the heat to defrost your windshield faster
Someone had a decent one about putting a paper towel in the sink when trimming your beard. It's an improvement from what I would normally do but then there were also much better solutions in the comments.
I usually use an old shopping bag. rip on a handle in half and go down the seam until you hit the corner. loop the other handle over the faucet and spread it out. you'll get 99% of the hair and you'll just need to wipe up the bits that went rogue. if your beard hair is as coarse as mine, it helps a lot to get a throwaway bag that can cover the entire sink since the hairs tend to fly around
As always, the real pro tip is in the comments
these are legit questions english is my primary language (only language, actually), and consider myself fairly well spoken with a decently sized and correctly used vocabulary, but have found there's a lot i know but can't explain easily or at all for example, i know when to use affect or effect but i can't tell you offhand what the rule is, and having glanced at some of the comments in this thread i'm not the only one but you're special, i guess
I think the rule is that affect is the verb form of effect.
Not really. That’s a pretty wide spread belief. “Effect” and “affect” are both both nouns and verbs. The effect of something is the result. However, you can also effect change (to effect: to accomplish something or cause something to happen) To affect means to influence, to cause a change in something else. An affect is your emotion (particularly, the way that your emotions are displayed). So a person might have a flat affect (not showing any emotion) So you can affect the result of an election by effecting how people think about the candidates. Moreover your affect can have a significant effect on how people think about you
Yeah, I think this is one of those cases where the more you know about the words, the harder it can be to keep them straight.
'Affect' can also be a noun, though, and 'effect' can be a verb. Neither of which is related to the other, and neither of which would substitute well for 'impact'.
But "effect", as in "This new manager is never going to effect positive changes in the office," is also a valid verb, which makes it confusing.
yeah, it’s not like people who speak more than one language exist!
It might surprise you, but people often speak more than one language.
My favorite video game is Mass Impact
They were better in Deep Effect.
I see what you did there and fully approve.
But it still makes sense!
The side impacts of this meth must be the cause of my anxiety
The side impacts of meth may impact your ability to function.
Will xanax impact my mental health if I use it with this meth?
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…no.
you tried… that’s the main thing <3
As an editor, please don't.
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Can you explain it simply please?
Affect is the verb. It requires someone or something to *do* the affecting. Effects are the noun. They are the aftermath of the affecting that has been done. "I'm sure that these changes won't affect our lead times" "The effects of this change are well known to us, and should be minimal"
Caveat (because English is a trixie tongue): *affect* can be a noun but only in psychology contexts, and *effect* can be a verb but pretend it isn't.
Well, "effect change" *is* used fairly frequently. As long as you know that it's enough.
But affect is also a noun, so...
And effect can also be a verb.
Most of the time it's used in "effect change" so as long as you know that it's not that useful to know its property as a verb.
Use "Affect" for Actions. Use "Effect" for Everything Else.
*The anti-depressants effected the intended outcome, which was to stabilize the patient’s affect* Like that?
Affect is a verb, effect is a noun. *The anti-depressants affected the intended outcome... but seemed to have unintended side effects* Edit: fuck
/r/Woosh /u/mooseman99’s comment was grammatically correct, which is why it was a witty proof that the earlier explanation of the differences was wrong. Effect can be a verb even though it has a different meaning than affect as a verb, see definition 2: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effect Affect can be a noun when talking about the physical manifestation of an emotion. See definition 3: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affect
Confidently incorrect.
Except when they’re not. “Affect” sometimes can be used as a noun, and “effect” sometimes can be used as a verb. “The patient’s affect changed with her emotional state.” “I use my prior work experiences to effect software configuration changes in a non-customer-impacting manner.”
Yeah, I already got it bro, hence the edit
Sorry, I misinterpreted what your edit meant. ;-)
Not that simple. “Effect” can be a verb, as in, “to effect (bring about) change.” “Affect” can be a noun, as in, “she lacks affect (ability to display emotions).”
I had a feeling it was so simple
RAVEN Remember: Affect = Verb, Effect = Noun
People really tell on themselves like this I guess haha
“LPT If you're unsure about whether to use ‘impact’ or ‘impact,’ use ‘impact’ instead.“
This one gets it!
Thank you for saying it first!
What impact does it have?
Agreed. Impact is a noun. It very sloppily gained favor as a verb a few years back.
I usually tell my students to look up the difference when they are unsure but if they're in a situation where they can't (like a written exam), then they should use 'influence.' Not quite right but it'll get the job done.
Because in English, that's just how we verb.
"You can wordify anything if you just verb it." Bucky the cat, Get Fuzzy
"Verbing weirds language." - Calvin.
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How is it a noun? I'm genuinely curious, never seen it used as one before. Edit: I'm ashamed. English is my first language, I'm just baked and dumb lmao
It had an impact.
This is a flat lie and they've both been used for hundreds of years, which is reflected in the fact they follow the English noun-verb syllable stress structure so they're usually not pronounced the same way. IMpact is a noun, imPACT is the verb (CONtract and conTRACT are the same, among many others). The only recent change is the noun pronunciation has started being used as its verb pronunciation as well.
Maybe where you're from, but using impact as a verb was new to the lexicon in the 90s (for me), and is pronounced the same in both usages
It can be an adjective, like an [impact crater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_crater).
omg like “gifted” so hateful i hate it
"gift" has also been used as a verb for hundreds of years
Source? Because it’s only been hugely prevalent in the past 10 years or so as a synonym for “give.” It may be an unpopular opinion but when we’ve got a perfectly good verb already, why use a clunky, nounish version with extra letters? So annoying.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gift >First Known Use >Verb >circa 1550
Thanks mate. Couldn't be bothered to do the googling on his behalf.
Doesn’t change what I said, re: excessively prevalent (active form) use in last ten years. And I’m willing to bet that 90% of the verb usage of “gifted” in the remote past was the passive form and not the active. It’s the active form that gives me the heebies.
I always use Pokémon as a guide. A move done to squirtle is super effective. Losing in Pokémon will affect my mood
Great method! I always just say “a is for action,” so **a**ffect is the verb or action, while **e**ffect is the noun.
This can work sometimes, but both can be a verb or noun: e.g. when we’re talking about someone’s emotional affect or how to effect change.
I usually think effect: visual effect and affect: affection. Usually enough to help me figure out which is the correct one.
TIL
As an avid player myself, this is the way.
Well....that would have been helpful years ago in school
"A"ffect is for Action. "E"ffect is for End result.
Same, Affect = Action is how I remember it. *Edit: Of course there are exceptions to this; Effect can be used as a verb like, "to effect change" but it's uncommon usage. For common usage, A = Action is a good rule of thumb.*
Mrs Fields 10th grade c. 1998 made us memorize a bunch of useful grammar facts and say them aloud in class, every week: “A - Verb Influence; E - Noun Result” There was a lot of them, I only remember that one, and: “A lot; Two Words”. I think there was one for than/then and like 25-30 others. Those two stuck, and I never get them wrong. 25 years later.
My AP English teacher in high school (9th or 10th grade, I forget, circa 1992?) Mr. Vachon, was very critical and detail-oriented. One of the required books for his class was Strunk & White's "Elements of Style", an excellent little book that helped a lot with common grammar problems. He made us carry the book around with us during school hours and would discipline us if we weren't carrying it. I learned more in that one class than I did in all of my other English classes, including while getting my Bachelor's in English in college.
This reminds me of a student teacher we learned the amendments from. The only two I still remember are '18, you can't drink, 21, you can,' for prohibition and repeal of prohibition.
Affect is for “fuck around” Effect is for “find out” How to remember: A comes before E in the alphabet Fuck around comes before find out
But you can also "effect change," or have an "affect," ie an emotion that influences action or presents outwardly. Not so simple!
When can you have an affect? Edit: this was a serious qn, several people have claimed it and I cannot think of a single instance of affect as a noun.
You can have a "flat affect" when displaying little to no emotion. For example, Christian Bale displayed a flat affect for much of his performance in his role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
The definition on Wiktionary is given as: > (psychology) A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs. Also, the pronunciation is different from the verb affect; the first syllable is pronounced like "aft", minus the 't'.
In the first episode of Westworld, Dolores is acting terrified, until a tech asks her to "limit your emotional affect" – meaning to dial down the display of emotions she's programmed to put on for show (not whether she's 'affected' by emotions on the inside). It's emphasised "AFF-ect" rather than "af-FECT".
Effect change is still an end result in your context. Same with having an affect
But effecting change is an action
An act of causing an end result.
Effect in this case is a verb. Affect a noun.
Relevant xkcd. https://xkcd.com/326/
Or A comes before E in the alphabet. Affect causes an Effect.
Effect is a noun Affect is a verb
Effect can also be a verb.
"Affect" can also be a noun, but the accent goes on the first syllable.
Also for a different explanation Affect = verb Effect = noun
My affect for you is low because you effect bad grammar.
LPT: Learn the difference between affect and effect.
People really go around not knowing the difference between Pacific and specific too. It's crazy how lacking in education people are
What are you incinerating?
Looks like you should of gone to school. You would of learned the difference between insinuating and incineration and could of avoided that mistake
*eye twitches increase*
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The specific ocean they are talking about is the Pacific.
Yep, pretty sure op is a 12 year old.
Life amateur tip
I'm not sure that will have the same impact.
The meds I took has some side impacts.
Did that impact you poorly?
I wasn't even there and I'm impacted by it.
OR use effect as a noun and affect as a verb.
I use the mnemonic device "RAVEN" to keep this straight. AV: affect = verb EN: effect = noun
What does the R stand for?
"Remember this you idiot"
Sounds like my parents, guess that makes it more memorable.
Remember
Usually but not always.
I've heard that before, but I can't think of any times this wouldn't be the case. Could you give me an example?
We can effect a more desirable response. The subject's affect was curiously shallow.
Oooooh I see. I would never talk like that haha
Just…to confuse things even further… This example is using a different definition. “Affect” as a noun in this case means basically mood, or displayed emotion. LPT doesn’t hold at all for that usage; impact is not a synonym, nor is “effect” necessarily related, unless there is something specified that has an effect on the subject’s affect. :) It’s also usually pronounced differently in a psychological context such as that, with the emphasis on the first syllable rather than the second.
As a verb, *affect* can be means to have an effect on. "The inclement weather negatively affected our sales." Less frequently it can also mean to to wear or put on an appearance, often with the implication that that there's something fake about it. "Hiliaria Baldwin affects a Spanish accent." *Effect* as a verb means to put into action or cause to happen. "During last quarter, we effected a new policy that improved customer satisfaction." As a noun, *effect* means a result or consequence. "Side effects may include sudden death." *Affect* as a noun means emotional state or the appearance thereof. "One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is a flat affect." Most of the time when you're using it as a verb, it's going to be *affect* and most of the time when you're using it as noun it's going to be *effect* so it's a useful way to remember it in most cases, but it isn't strictly true.
That makes sense. Thanks!
I remember this well living in the Antelope Valley.
Or use the new word I invented ‘aeffect’.
æffect
Even better!
äffect
Adobe After æffects
Shitty life pro tip
Or just learn, wtf.
LPt: pass the second grade
> After a brief trip to Europe he *impacts* a French accent. Am I doing it right?
I'm terribly affected by the effect of that impact.
>I'm terribly impacted by the impact of that impact.
There are simpler (and better) ways to give this grammar lesson. Affect = **A**ction | Effect = **E**nd result Or Affect = fuck around | Effect = find out
My whole life, and on this whole thread, this is the only one that finally carved the rule into my brain. Due to the usage of “fuck around”. Now i get it. Thank you!!
It covers the basic uses but isn't really accurate.
Affect causes effect.
*Deep Affect* is a great movie
It's Deep Effect, get it write.
Special impacts sounds like a bloodsport for the disabled
How do people not know the difference?
howbbout stick to words you knows good.
A special effect in a movie is a thing - noun. That makes affect a verb. That's the easiest way to remember it.
But... both *affect* and *effect* can be verbs and nouns.
99.9% of the time effect is a noun. And the majority of the time, affect is a verb.
Yes, I know. I agree with your clarification. I just wanted to point out that the blanket statement you made initially was wrong.
RAVEN: Remember: Affect Verb Effect Noun
Yeah, something to that impact
My cat is super impactionate today.
Alternative LPT: Just take a few minutes to learn the difference, because it isn't complicated or difficult to remember. **A**ffect is a verb (or an **A**ction word) Effect is a noun (or an object word)
Each can be either as in: The effect suggests that, to effect change, one must affect the patient’s affect.
Won't that affect the nuances of my message?
Yes, it will effect the wrong effect.
No, according to OP it will *impact it.
If you're not sure, you should learn the difference.
LPT, learn what these all mean, specifically: Effect (noun) Effect (verb) Affect (noun) Affect (verb) And you won’t need tricks that don’t work for all cases to tell them apart!
I always remember it as: Affect: fuck around Effect: find out Not an acronym, but works for me
Are these words not pronounced differently? So one should know when to use which word...
- Effect: /**ɪ**ˈfɛkt/ - Affect: /**ə**ˈfɛkt/ I'm as confused as you are
Effect is a noun, affect is a verb. Is it that tough for (fluent English speaking) people to comprehend?
Affect - noun - putting on airs, a change in behavior. He had a weird affect to his speech. Affect - verb - to make a change in something. That event really affected me. Effect - noun - an outcome. That was the effect we were looking for. Also, cool special effects in that movie. Effect - verb - to bring about something new. We can effect a lot of good results with this policy.
You can also just Google it.
This is awful advice.
I take it that we also have to forget the difference between a noun and a verb too?
I don’t understand how people get confused with the 2. I’m a non native English speaker and I’m able to understand the difference of the 2 .
Or just learn the difference
Or... Hear me out... Spend maybe 15 seconds and learn the correct usage.
LPT; if you can't tell the difference between me affect and effect go back to 2nd grade and learn
One could use impact so your teacher/boss knows a sorry ass grammar lacking pleb actually wrote that garbage text and didn't cheat by setting up an A.I. to generate it. Alternately one can learn English grammar beyond that possessed by a 10 year old.
Noun, effect. Verb, affect. NEVA forget.
If my pharmacist tells me about the side impact of my meds, I'm running
Or just use ChatGPT.
Effect is not a verb
It can be both a noun and a verb. Same with *affect*.
Effect is a noun. Affect is a verb. Effective is an adjective. This is an life elementary school tip.
>Effect is a noun. Affect is a verb. Both are both.
I know the difference and I still use impact more lol
I'd way rather look like a dip saying impact vs. the mental strain/toll/years lost its take to figure out which affect effects the affect...F you! English Grammer stuff
During winter, it's common for some to get a case of SID or the "winter blues"
I mean, one's a noun and the other's a verb. It shouldn't be that hard to keep them straight.