A Quick 5 Point Novel Guide to AFFECT vs. EFFECT

When do you use AFFECT rather than EFFECT, and vice versa? 

This can be one of the trickier challenges. It is a mistake I see quite often.

Here is A Quick 5 point novel guide.

I will start with an important recap.

1. What is a NOUN?

A NOUN is a part of speech which refers to a person, place or thing. A Noun answers the question: “What?”

2. What is a VERB?

A VERB is a part of speech which indicates action. A VERB is an action word which answers the question: ‘How?’

3. EFFECT is a noun

EFFECT means something “influenced” or something that is “produced by a cause or a result”.  My time was slow, the effect of a broken toe.

Examples

The crops felt the effect of the rain.

4. AFFECT is a verb

AFFECT means “to influence” or “produce and effect a change in”. “My broken toe affected my time in the marathon”.

Example

The rain affects the crops

5. Exception

There are rare exceptions. EFFECT can be a verb when try to produce something big, “the government tried to EFFECT change”.