Affect vs. Effect - Page 3

zaed_salah · #21 (**permalink**) 18-Jul-2007, 20:27

Hi

there is another meaning for affect,it means to pretend or to feel something.
And about the examples made by Casiopea:

I think they could be like this:
To affect people; to have an influence on them not to change them.
To effect rain ; to make it raining ( to make something happen not to create it)

mykwyner · #22 (**permalink**) 18-Jul-2007, 21:53

Here's how my father taught me this lesson forty years ago:

"A few drinks will affect his recovery." It will change the natural course of his recovery, for either the better or the worse.

" A few drinks will effect his recovery." It will cause him to recover.

zaed_salah · #23 (**permalink**) 18-Jul-2007, 22:28

In my opinion , the second sentence would be:

A few drinks will effect recovery " for him" ( means a few drinks will make recovery happen ).
So, the pharse will be wrong because drinks will make the situation worsen .
As I understand, the meaning of 'effect' as verb is to make something happen, and I think it's not appropriate to use it in this case after all.

mykwyner · #24 (**permalink**) 18-Jul-2007, 23:04

Well, Zaed, if you've ever had a hangover, you would know that a few drinks (also known as a hair of the dog that bit you) certainly would effect your recovery.

bianca · #25 (**permalink**) 19-Jul-2007, 14:55

I understand you, Salah. I am also confused by the 'recovery' thing.

Mykwyner: You effect a recovery with a few drinks, means that the drinks are effective for your recovery, right? The question is: recovery from what? As far as I know, drinking only makes things worse.

Could these examples help?

* Effect as a verb means "to bring about" or "to effect a change."

El Nino is effected by (caused by) global warming.

* When you affect something, you have an effect on it.

Air pollution affects (has an effect on) the global climate. It is a pretty effective (not affective) means of damaging our environment.