GG Q/D Lesson 1.3 A/effect, As/en/insure & Other Dirty Words
Jul 1, 2021 8:49:05 GMT -6
Post by ScienceGirl on Jul 1, 2021 8:49:05 GMT -6
Continuing with Mignon Fogarty's "Dirty-word" wisdom from Lesson 1.2, let's have a look at some more dreadful trip-us-up phrases.
Affect vs. Effect
I've always remembered this one by "have an effect" and "affect an outcome." Mignon cites it as one of the most misused phrases, but points out that the difference is straightforward.
She defines affect: "to influence, to change, to act in a way that you don't feel" and effect: "a result or consequence of an action."
We tend to think of sound effects, lethal effects, behavioral effects, etc. There are cases when effect CAN be used as a verb (to bring about), but they're very rare (think effect change). So, as Mignon did in her book, let's choose to focus on those.
Being a verb, affect has conjugation and tenses:
I, you, they affect, affected, will affect, have affected, will have affected
He/she/it affects, will affect, has affected, will have affected
There's more, but you get the idea. Effect, being a noun, doesn't get such conjugation.
So, think about examples of subjects that can affect (influence) something:
The weather affected my wedding plans.
My budget affected my ability to purchase a car.
Your compliments affected my confidence.
You could also say:
The weather had an effect on my wedding plans.
My budget had an effect on my ability to purchase a car.
Your compliments had an effect on my confidence.
Now, NOTICE SOMETHING!!! I'm always talking in critiques about tightening an being more concise. This is a GREAT example of how using an active verb can cut back on wordiness and make for more effective writing. Every time we use "had an effect," we add two extra words to the sentence.
She offers an exception (affect is a noun in psychology jargon) and two memory tricks. 1) If you can put "the" in front of it, use effect. and 2) think of a raven, or "aven" which means "affect verb, effect now."
Although vs While
Mignon at first defined although: "in spite of the fact that" and while: "at the same time" and believed they were distinctly different. Through her research, she foudn that these two words can be used interchangeably. However, it's not always understandable to do so. She brings up the example:
and she questions whether this implies a contrast of their colors or a time frame (Is Aardvark ONLY blue when Squiggly is yellow?). Even though this is grammatically correct, it's confusing to the reader.
Assure, Ensure, Insure
Sometimes just knowing the definitions can make a difference. Writers should always be open to working on their vocabulary.
Assure: "to reassure someone or to promise"
Ensure: "to make certain or guarantee"
Insure: "arrange for compensation in the event of damage or loss"
I can assure you that I'll do my best to ensure that your insurance will provide the best coverage
Hope these help! More to come soon!
Affect vs. Effect
I've always remembered this one by "have an effect" and "affect an outcome." Mignon cites it as one of the most misused phrases, but points out that the difference is straightforward.
The majority of time you use affect as a verb and effect as a noun.
We tend to think of sound effects, lethal effects, behavioral effects, etc. There are cases when effect CAN be used as a verb (to bring about), but they're very rare (think effect change). So, as Mignon did in her book, let's choose to focus on those.
Being a verb, affect has conjugation and tenses:
I, you, they affect, affected, will affect, have affected, will have affected
He/she/it affects, will affect, has affected, will have affected
There's more, but you get the idea. Effect, being a noun, doesn't get such conjugation.
So, think about examples of subjects that can affect (influence) something:
The weather affected my wedding plans.
My budget affected my ability to purchase a car.
Your compliments affected my confidence.
You could also say:
The weather had an effect on my wedding plans.
My budget had an effect on my ability to purchase a car.
Your compliments had an effect on my confidence.
Now, NOTICE SOMETHING!!! I'm always talking in critiques about tightening an being more concise. This is a GREAT example of how using an active verb can cut back on wordiness and make for more effective writing. Every time we use "had an effect," we add two extra words to the sentence.
She offers an exception (affect is a noun in psychology jargon) and two memory tricks. 1) If you can put "the" in front of it, use effect. and 2) think of a raven, or "aven" which means "affect verb, effect now."
Although vs While
Mignon at first defined although: "in spite of the fact that" and while: "at the same time" and believed they were distinctly different. Through her research, she foudn that these two words can be used interchangeably. However, it's not always understandable to do so. She brings up the example:
While Squiggly is yellow, Aardvark is blue.
Assure, Ensure, Insure
Sometimes just knowing the definitions can make a difference. Writers should always be open to working on their vocabulary.
Assure: "to reassure someone or to promise"
Ensure: "to make certain or guarantee"
Insure: "arrange for compensation in the event of damage or loss"
I can assure you that I'll do my best to ensure that your insurance will provide the best coverage
Hope these help! More to come soon!
