2.19.2008

Affect & Effect

Affect is a verb. It means 'cause a change in' or 'influence'.

The cold weather affected everybody's work. Effect is usually a noun meaning 'result' or 'change'. The expression have an effect on is similar to affect. Compare:

The war seriously affected petrol prices.

The war had a serious effect on oil prices. In a formal style, effect can also be used as a verb, meaning 'carry out', 'cause to happen'.

We did not effect much improvement in sales last year.

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