Confusing Words

AFFECT – EFFECT

Affect and effect are often confused, even by native speakers of English. The most important thing to remember is that affect is used as a verb and effect is normally used as a noun. When they are used in this way, they are similar in meaning, signifying ‘influence’, ‘impact’ or ‘change’. Compare the following:

• 'The really hot weather affected everybody’s ability to work.'
• 'I know my neighbours play loud music late at night, but that doesn’t affect me.I can sleep through anything.'
• 'The number of tourists travelling to Britain this year has not been affected by the strength of the pound.'
• 'The tablets which he took every four hours had no noticeable effect on his headache.'
• 'My words of comfort had little effect. She just went on crying and wouldn’t stop.'
  
  Note: we talk about someone or something having an effect on something or someone. If we use effect as a verb, it means to ‘carry out’ or to ‘cause something to happen’, but it is used only in very formal English. Consider the following:
  
  'Repairs could not be effected because the machines were very old.'

Efficient – Effective

These two qualitative adjectives are often confused. If somebody or something is efficient, then he, she or it works in a well-organized way, without wasting time or energy. Consider the following examples:

• 'She was efficient in everything she did and was frequently commended for exemplary service to the organization.'
• 'He hasn’t made very efficient use of his time in revising for these exams: he has made no notes and his concentration spans appear to last for no longer than ten minutes.'
• 'This engine is really efficient. It can run for 30 km on only 1 liter of fuel.'
  
  If something is effective, it works well and produces the results that were intended. Consider the following examples:

• 'These tablets really are effective. My headache’s much better now.'
• 'The only effective way to avoid hay fever at this time of the year, if you are a sufferer, is to stay indoors.'