Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #47
"Affect" is usually a verb, and "effect" is usually a noun. To affect something is to change or influence it, and an effect is something that happens due to a cause. When you affect something, it produces an effect.
Example:
The plane was delayed, which affected her plan to arrive in New York by noon.
The delay had a negative effect on her plans.
Pro tip: "Effect" does function as a verb when referencing "to bring about." For instance, it is the correct word in phrases such as "effect change" and "effect solutions." Also, "affect" has a secondary, less-used verb sense — namely, "to put on a false show of."
Example:
The millionaire wanted to use his wealth to effect change, so he established a charitable foundation.
I affected a state of shock when I heard the news for the second time.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.