affects or effects?

[pinksmartie]

I know i'm going to sound really stupid now but oh well :P

I'm writing an essay on how an actor playing a part in Macbeth should present their character, but (and here comes the dumb bit - drumroll please!) i'm not sure wether to put affects or effects in the following paragraph:

Any actor in Shakespeare's Macbeth would have to have a clear idea about how to portray their character and their character's frame of mind. Just like real people, the characters in Macbeth change and behave differently as time goes on, so as each new event affects the character, the actor/actress would have to effectively show the audience how the character has reacted to the situations thrown their way.

I've always been unsure as to what to what exactly the difference is, and i know this is probably 7 year old stuff but you know.... I did learn it once but i've forgotten lol. Thanks in advance

[shammydodger]

Affects is the correct word to use here. Can't explain now, cos I'm going out.

!

[shammydodger]

Except to say that "to effect" something is to cause it to happen. e.g. to effect a transformation.

No, that doesn't help much does it?

[pinksmartie]

P.S does that paragraph sound ok?

lol, only joking :P

[DaSwede]

Look under Check your effects on

http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/spell.html#Easily%20Confused.

Is that the whole truth, though? I wouldn't know, not a native speaker. But maybe this helps you a little, during the night, until the dreaded AB masters and monsters arise...

[pinksmartie]

lol. Thanks all :)

[DaSwede]

Sorry, don't know what happened with the link. First you have to click Words become easily confused. (As do links, apparently.)

[shammydodger]

Even so

Affects is the correct word.

[maxi29]

You did spell 'whether' wrongly though :-)

[Quizmonster]

Both words may be nouns or verbs, so...
1 NOUNS
a. The noun, �effect', is the result of an action, as in �Drowsiness is one effect of taking this drug' or �What effect on my career will it have if I fail this test?'
b. It can also mean goods or property, as in �After his death, his effects were sent to his son in America.'
c.Thirdly, it can mean illusions as used in films and television, as in �The special effects in Star Wars were quite stunning!' (Neither of the two additional meanings at �b' or �c' is likely to be confused with �affect'.)
d. The noun, �affect', is normally used only in psychological jargon to mean the emotion lying behind actions as in �The dream process is an affect mechanism.' (As such, you can more or less forget the noun, �affect'...unless you are a psychologist, of course!)
2 VERBS
a. The verb, �effect', means to produce, accomplish or bring about, as in �By her ceaseless campaigning, she eventually managed to effect her husband's release from prison.' So, Effect has to do with the End result. Notice the two capital letters �E'.
b. The verb, �affect', means to act upon or influence, as in �The illness affected him in a variety of ways.' So, Affect relates to Act upon. Notice the two capital letters �A'.
c. It can also mean to make a pretence of, as in �He affected a Scottish accent in order to befriend her.' (This additional meaning is unlikely to be confused with �effect'.)
Confusion is likely to arise, therefore, only with regard to Paragraphs 2a and 2b...ie when the words are used as verbs. To avoid problems, remember the matching capital letters.
Your use of 'affects' and of 'effectively' above is correct.

[THECORBYLOON]

If you think "E follows A," the "Effect" (noun) follows "Affect" (verb.)