The downed power line had an impact on some power customers: they were without electricity overnight.Įffect is most commonly used as a noun meaning 'the result or impact of something, an outcome.' If there's 'a/an/the' in front of it, it's an effect. It means to influence something, such as in the headline from the Albuquerque News: You can't affect the creepy poem by reading it, but you can enjoy the effect of a talking bird.

Think of Edgar Allan Poe and his RAVEN: Remember A ffect Verb E ffect Noun.

Īll opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.Choosing between affect and effect can be scary. For more examples of English usage points, please visit. This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage, written for learners of English. The new law will give us the power to effect change.įind out more in our English Usage article. If you effect something that you are trying to achieve, you succeed in achieving it.

The scene includes some spooky sound effects. The effects in a film are the specially created sounds and scenery. These changes will have a significant effect on our business.Įffect can also be used as a plural noun. Improvement in water supply can have a dramatic effect on health. You can say that something has a particular effect on something else. This has the effect of separating students from teachers. The report shows the effect of noise on people in the factories. An effect is something that happens or exists because something else has happened.

Have that effect or affect on me