Common English Mistakes and Mix-ups: Affect vs. Effect

 

 

Affect and effect are two words that are often mixed up. I’m a native speaker and I still do it if I am not careful!

Affect is usually a verb and effect is usually a noun.  Affect usually means to influence or to cause/produce a change in something. Effect usually means the result or the impression caused by something/someone.

For  example: At first the drug did not affect me, but after a few weeks I started to experience some really negative side effects. 

 

image taken from: theoatmeal.com