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AFFECT/EFFECT
These words give writers trouble since the two can be both a noun and a verb, although affect is typically verb and effect, noun. Normally, you will use affect to denote influence. For example:
If I play music will it affect your studying?
Affect used as a noun means “emotion.”
On the other hand, effect, which is more commonly used as a noun, relates to the consequence or result.
The effects of the drug have long since worn off.
As a verb, it means to cause or to accomplish:
The tornado effected a change in our plan.
ACCEPT/EXCEPT
Another couple of closely related words which mean different things are accept and except. Accept will refer to receiving or approval of something.
I accept your apology.
Except refers to an exclusion, as in, not including.
I took all those classes except math.
Because they sound so similar, these words often become interchanged when we write but meaning two different things, they can really botch a sentence’s meaning!
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Good post. Here are two more that I notice all the time: sell and sale.
Gah! I’m still not sure when to use affect vs. effect. They seem to be identical!
Gal
Affect as a verb is “to influence,” while effect is “to cause” or “to accomplish.”
Just try to fill in their meaning on the sentence. For instance:
“The tornado effected/affected a change in our plan.”
If you consider the meaning of affect, the sentence would read:
“The tornado influenced a change in our plan.”
That does not make much sense, so the word you are looking for here is effect
“The tornado caused a change in our plan.”
But look at the two example sentences you used, they’re not really that different.
Gal