Affect vs. Effect

From Create Your Own Story

  • Affect = Verb; To change or influence something
The storm knocked down power lines, affecting several thousand people in rural communities.
  • Effect = Noun; Something that happens due to a cause
Gauging the disaster’s effect requires assessing economic activity that might be lost.

Affect + Effect: The affect was to change the effect of the disaster.

Simple enough?

There are some exceptions to the rule, like to effect change, which means to to bring about change, while it would make no sense to affect change or to have an effect on change, but for the most part, the rules above will keep you out of trouble.

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