Some word pairs are hard to tell apart. Affect and effect probably tops that list. We learned a trick to help your kids know when to use each word correctly.
What does affect mean?
Affect is a verb. It means to impact, change or influence something.
For example:
This year’s drought will affect the crop.
Every politician wants to affect change.
What does effect mean?
Effect is a noun. It means the result of a change, the impact of something, an outcome.
For example:
The lyrics had a big effect on Sammie.
Demand has an effect on the price of goods.
Trick for remembering affect or effect
The trick to learning which of the two words to use lies in their beginning letters.
For affect, think about the A. A is for action, and verbs are about action. Affect starts with an A, and it’s a verb.
For effect, think about “cause and effect”. Cause ends, with E, and effect begins with E. With ‘effect’ you can jump straight from cause to effect: causE - Effect.
Affect or effect in sentences practice
We’ve created a set of worksheets for students to practice affect or effect in sentences.
