Conference thebay::joyoflex

    Here's something you might try. Just think of Affect to mean Alter.
    (Note the two initial "A"s.) So, if you want Alter (change) something
    you'll Affect it.
    
    For Effect (pronounced with the long "E"), think of CREating (long
    "E" on the first syllable). So, if you want to CREate a response
    (or whatever) you'll Effect it, i.e. create an effect. 

    			-----  O R  -----
    
    Remember that Affect (there's that "A" again) brings about partial
    (more "A"s) results, whereas Effect (initial "E") brings about a
    complete (more "E"s) result. (You would Affect the outcome by
    contributing towards it. You would Effect an escape by actually
    doing it.)

	BD�

    RE:1
    
    I too have the same trouble as chris,your suggestions might just
    work.I think I have been through a numerous amount of dictionaries
    in my time..
    
    Nigel
    
    
    

    re: .1
    
    Yes, I think my problem is with the verb version of 
    the words.  'Affect' is never a noun, so that's easy.
    
    But, it's the verb usage (since they can both be used
    as verbs according to my dictionary) where the real
    subtlety is!
    
    I'll try applying your rules the next time I choose to
    use one of these.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Chris.

re: .3

What part of speech is `Affect' in the following sentence?

    > 'Affect' is never a noun, so that's easy.

;^)
    
Clay

   Not to confuse the base noter or anything, but 'affect' can be a noun.

   From _The American Heritage Dictionary_:

   affect - n.  1.  Psychol.  a.  A feeling or emotion as distinguished from
   cognition, thought, action.  b.  A strong feeling having active
   consequences.  2.  Obs.  A disposition, feeling, or tendency.

   The noun definition may help distinguish between the verb definition of
   'affect' and 'effect.'

   Good luck.


   							Terza

    Re .2 & .3
    
    You're welcome. My memory is so bad that I've been forced to come
    up with little tricks like that or I'd be carrying a dictionary
    around with me all the time too.

	BD�

    And what about `affecting a carnation' or `affecting a lisp'?
    There's more to this than meets the eye (which is not to say
    that rules of thumb are a bad thing).
    
    b

    My rule of thumb is that if I don't know the precise meaning of
    the word that first comes to mind, I find another way to say it;
    if I have trouble with commonly confused words like affect/effect,
    a significant portion of my audience is probably going to sit
    there wondering, "Wait a minute, is that affect or effect?" when
    they should be going on to the next sentence after perfectly
    understanding this one.  
    
    --bonnie

    Re: .4
    
    > What part of speech is `Affect' in the following sentence?

    >> 'Affect' is never a noun, so that's easy.
    
    Disregarding the truth or falsity of the assertion, I would think that
    'affect' is in this statement neither a verb nor a noun.  Placing it in
    quotation marks and discussing it as an entity instead of using it
    renders it a construct of metalanguage; although that construct is used
    as a noun, the word within it is not one until so stipulated.  But
    that's just my opinion...
    
    -d

    re: .8
    
    Yes, I wholeheartedly agree.  I try to be very correct in
    word usage, and I agree that I do not want my readers to 
    be considering my use of words rather than to consider my
    ideas.  But the two words 'affect'/'effect' are so commonly
    used.. and are convenient!
    
    I think that I will avoid using these two if, in a certain 
    situation, the correct choice is not perfectly clear.
    
    Thanks again for the comments,
    
    Chris.

    > 'Affect' is never a noun, so that's easy.
    I've also heard that "effect" is never a verb.  They're both false.
    
    An effect is usually a visible affect, or a dramatic affect.
    There is also a slight tendency for effects to be positive ones,
    while affects are basically neutral, but affects tend to suggest
    being negative if they weren't referred to as effects.
    
    The verbs differ differently.  To affect something, you merely
    have an affect (or effect) on it.  To effect something, the
    something must be an event, and you must cause the event to
    occur (likely by affecting other things in such a manner that
    the event occurs).
    
    An effective person is one who effects effects.
    An affectionate person tries to effect more specific effects.
    
    And that's it, effectively.

    Tsk.  This conference is so affected.
    
    Ray

    Three rules of thumb:
    
    1.) When tempted to use "impact," (impacted, impacting) use "affect."
    
    2.) In general, one affects the effect.
    
    3.) When the difference between affect and effect is not immediatly
        apparent, rewrite the sentence.
    
        These rules may help ensure accuracy.  
        
            With my compliments,  Margaret

re .-1

>    Three rules of thumb:
>    
>    1.) When tempted to use "impact," (impacted, impacting) use "affect."
>    

Okay, I get it.  I would replace:

	"I strive to write with maximum impact."

			with

	"I strive to write with maximum affect."

Thanks for straightening this out for me.	:<{)

Larry

    RE: .14
    
    No.  
    
    "The hardware slip will not impact the software schedule."
    
    "Jack, how does this change impact your group?"
    
    "The mumblefratz impacted us negatively."
    
    Are all common (mis)uses of impact where affect is correct.
    
    Does this help?
    
        Margaret
    

'Affect' takes as a direct object (a noun) the person, place, or thing
being affected.  The result of the action (generally represented by
an abstract noun) is the effect, and is also what is effected.

You can effect a change, but you can affect a person.  You cannot
effect a person (that requires creation).  (You CAN affect a change
in that you can alter the way that a change occurs.  The effect of your
action, though, will still be change.)

Just my opinion.

Dave C.