English in many aspects is very similar to Russian (polysemy, the presence of semantic puns or puns). But there are many subtleties that are inherent in only one of the languages ​​and are untranslatable to another. Sometimes language learners have a question about the features of writing, translation, the use of consonant words and the difference between affect and effect. To avoid mistakes, it is worthwhile to deal with this issue.
Features of the words affect, effect
The obvious difference is the spelling. In the first case, affect is written with the letter A, in the other - through E, effect. The next criterion is value. In meaning, these two words are as close as possible, therefore they are synonyms. In everyday everyday speech between the words affect, effect, the difference is that one of these words can be replaced by another. These words are interchangeable. The semantic meaning is also different. In affect, effect, the difference in the English example is manifested in the presence or absence of the preposition to before the word, which turns a noun into a verb.
Use cases affect
Between affect, effect, the difference lies in the following scheme: affect is most often used in a sentence as a verb, that is, it plays the role of an action in a sentence. The word translates as "influence someone."
This movie affected me deeply. - This film has influenced me a lot.
Weather change has affected my grandparent's health. “The change in weather affected the health of my grandparents.”
These examples illustrate the use of the word affect as a verb that indicates an action or effect on a specific or abstract object.
Use cases effect
The meaning of the word effect combines the features of a noun and translates as “result of action”.
Traveling has a great effect on his health. - Travel had a strong impact on his health (improved health is the result of action, that is, travel).
Visual effects in this movie were awful. - The visual effects in this film were disgusting (the effect is already a visible result).
But between affect, effect the difference lies in the following. The noun effect can be a transitional word, that is, in addition to the noun, appear in the sentence as a verb. As a rule, only formal events and business meetings require such changes and the application of the second meaning of the word. The noun effect changes its meaning to “be the cause”, “to achieve”.
The fastest way to effect the job is to improve your skills. - The fastest way to achieve the desired result of work is to improve your skills.
Toxic waste disposal in the inappropriate place effected the environmental pollution. - The release of toxic waste in the wrong place has caused environmental pollution.
Fear of darkness in childhood has effected on my psyche in adolescence. - Fear of the dark in childhood affected my mental health in my youth.
English is rich in similar cases when words that are similar in sound differ in meaning. As in the Russian language, in such situations it is advisable to avoid mistakes. To do this, you need to know what is the difference between the words affect, effect. So that a similar topic does not cause further difficulties, it is advisable to remember the translation of each of the words and the cases of use in the sentence. As well as possible exceptions. Although in ordinary spoken English, these words are used interchangeably without grammatical influence. But in business correspondence or negotiations it is better to use words for their intended purpose and according to the approved rules with a fixed meaning.