When I write articles for my blogs, I always wind up with questions about grammar, proper usage of words and spelling. Even though I have a Master's degree, I don't feel bad because it seems that everyone has questions. Some could make the right choices when in an academic environment on a daily basis, and some could never make the right choices. Hopefully, we use our resources to get the answer when needed.
One of the grammar demons I ran into the other day is whether to use "affect" vs "effect". As with many troublesome grammar rules, quick tricks help us make the proper choices. First, try and remember the meaning of each word:
Affect with an "a" means "to influence," as in, "The rain affected Hermione's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority."
Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Ginny's hairdo."
You'll notice that most of the time affect with an "a" is a verb and effect with an "e" is a noun.
Remember also that effect can be used as a verb that essentially means "to bring about," or "to accomplish." For example, you could say, "The politician hoped to effect change within his district."
If you remember what each word means and the part of speech it is being used for, you should pick the right choice most of the time. Of course, if all else fails, look it up. Two of the best college grammar guides to use as regular references to perform a quick online grammar check are the Guide to Grammar and Style by Jack Lynch, a professor at Rutgers University, and Common Errors in English Usage by Paul Brians, a professor at Washington State University.
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