affect/effect...driving me mad

[FairLadyRantALot]

any foolproof way to make me remember which to use when....?
Please...driving me mad....
especially as no matter which one I type first into my document, it always tells me it is the other one....lol...and it has been wrong in the past....so, never sure when to believe spell check...

Here's what Ask Oxford says:

"To affect something is to change or influence it, To effect something is a rather formal way of saying `to make it happen'. Confusingly, either may produce an 'effect' or result. ('An affect' is a technical term in psychology.)

The stability of the wall was affected by passing lorries.
The demolition of the wall was effected by the detonation of a charge of dynamite.
The dynamite did not just 'affect' (influence) the demolition of the wall: it caused it."

So, both can be verbs, but have different meanings - you're more likely to be using the verb affect in daily use, but the noun affect is quite technical, so if it's a noun you're likely to want effect.

I don't think I've been helpful at all there!

Effects are personal belongings, or things that result from something happening; as Habs says you are unlikely to be "effecting" change (or anything else) unless you are Snooty . Nearly everything else is "affect". I think. My brain may have melted in the heat though, so I'm not to be entirely trusted!

lol...hmm...still confused...
I am writing a reflective piece about my Placement within Hand Therapy (I am an Occuaptional Therapy student) and getting all muddled up....i.e. treatment has effect,how a condition affects...or vice versa...or ...argh.....

If you are using a noun you will almost certainly (unless you are a psychiatrist) want "effect".

If you are using a verb you will want "affect" at least 98% of the time. "Effect" exists as a verb but has a separate and distinct meaning and you'll rarely need to use it.

So if you work on the assumption of noun = "effect" and verb = "affect" you'll be off to a good start.

thanks Port...that makes it clearer in my head...I think...

thanks again port...it really did help...wil print your post out....as I bound to get confuddled again...