this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023
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I always used the two as different tenses of the same word except for the fact that "affect" can also be the verb form of "affectionate".
“Effect” is a noun, while “affect” is a verb. You can cause effects, by affecting something. “Affecting” is the act of causing effects, while “effects” are the actual causes of an affliction.
As an example, let’s say you get drunk. There are two different ways to phrase the same scenario: you are feeling the effects of the drinking, or you are being affected by the drinks. The end result is the same, but you need separate words for them.
In the former, you are feeling the effects. Feeling is the verb, effects is a noun. The same way you would feel the clothes against your skin, or the ground beneath your feet. But with the latter phrasing, the drink is acting upon you, so you need a verb; You are being affected by it. The same way you would be affected by someone else in the bar pushing you. Falling over is the effect, because you were affected by the push.
Effect and affect are both verbs. They are also both nouns.
effect n. meaning as you described: "The effect of the potion was that I grew three sizes."
affect v. meaning as you described: "The potion affected everyone the same way."
effect v. meaning "to successfully cause": "The potion I'm mixing will effect a revolution among the goblins."
affect n. meaning face or appearance: "Realizing she was about to drink the life-changing potion, the goblin's entire affect shifted to delight."
You know that the other two words also exist though, right? Like, you can effect change in an organization, and there can be something strange in the affect of a psychopath. So there's a verb "to effect" and a noun "affect" (although here the pronunciation is different--the accent is on the first syllable). It's true that the most common usages follow the rules you're laying out, but it genuinely is an oversimplification.