

The oil spill (affected, effected) hundreds of fish and birds in the region.He tried a new medicine for his sleep disorder to no (affect, effect).I hope this string of burglaries in town doesn’t have a negative (affect, effect) on our tourism.His new guitar pedal gave his music a funky (affect, effect).Do you think it will (affect, effect) the taste? My roommate’s new girlfriend is really (affecting, effecting) our friendship.You can find the answers at the bottom of this blog post. Check your understanding with these examples. It has proven itself able to impact change. Another hint: since “effect” is a noun, it’s usually preceded by an article-that is, “a,” “an,” or “the.” If something is “effective,” that means it as achieved its desired end. Is there action happening between two things in your sentence? Effect is a noun meaning “the result of an action.” So if you’re debating whether to use “affect” or “effect,” think A for Action. Remember those dominos falling down? As it’s happening, each domino is affecting the next.

In sentence one, “injury” is influencing “performance.” In sentence two, “weather” is influencing “cookout.” In sentence three, “experience” is influencing “style.” Notice that in sentence three, even though “style” comes before “experience,” it is Hemmingway’s “experience” that is influencing “style.” In sentences using “affect,” try spotting the two things that are in action with each other.
