(writing) Repeat after me.

[vg_ford]

Okay, folks, you AFFECT an EFFECT.

Don't they teach that in schools anymore?

Comments

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Apparently not.

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

This is why I thought the Jam album "Sound Affects" was such a brilliant title. ;)

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

I weep for our future.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

That is a brilliant title.

[aishabintjamil.livejournal.com]

No, as a matter of fact they don't.

Of course, my high school transcript has a spelling error in it, which has always amused me. I successfully completed a course in "Excellerated German". Or should that count as inventing a word, rather than just spelling it wrong?

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Yes, they do teach it.

All the time.

Do kids always learn it? No.

[shanrina.livejournal.com]

My school system didn't. If I hadn't been in a special writing program in high school, no one would have ever taught me grammar besides my mother, who used to work in publishing. And given some of the mistakes I saw when I took my college writing class a year ago, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no, they don't teach that in schools anymore.

[elfmagics.livejournal.com]

I did very well in school but never could seem to get that one right.. still not sure I know it 100%. So take that as you like...

[celebinar.livejournal.com]

'Affect' == influence
'Effect' == the result of the influence, or to cause something/put into effect

Examples: I wanted to affect his ability to read. My interference had the effect of destroying his ability to read. This change was effected on January 7th, 2008.

As a side note, 'affect' is also a psychological term meaning 'emotion.' In some types of hypnotherapy, for example, an 'affect bridge' is used to effect an age regression in order to affect your memories to a positive effect. 'Affect bridge' meaning they use the negative feeling about X to find the first time you felt that way, regressing you to that time.

I hope I haven't confused anyone. That wasn't the effect I was going for ... :p

[lupagreenwolf.livejournal.com]

"Effect" can also be a verb, meaning "to create"--"to effect a change". As per this page.

Otherwise, I'd generally agree.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

LOL.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

I know. Most of the kids in my high school classes paid attention, but I went to a small, semi-private high school and was in the accelerated classes, so I KNOW we weren't the norm.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

And that makes me very sad. Grammar is the foundation of language - if it's not taught, that language falters.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the best way to remember it is simply the sentence I stated above.

You affect an effect.

You can effect a change, but not an affect.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

Agreed, but you cannot effect an affect. They're not interchangable. That's the point I was trying to make. :)

[lupagreenwolf.livejournal.com]

But you could effect an affectation ;)

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

You could, yes. :)