Affect/Effect usage?
…Is this the correct use of “affect” or would it be “effect”?
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‘affect’ can also be a noun – check dictionary.com
‘effect’ can be both a noun and a verb – check dictionary.com
It gets a little complicated, but the end result gives ‘affect’ the nod in the Q sentence, as I have stated. I ‘glean’ that result from dictionary.com – someone else may see it differently !!
Effect is a noun.
Every cause has an effect but you affect change.
The correct sentence is
“Eliminating the element wouldn’t have any effect on the page count.”
Your sentence has a gerund subject (Eliminating the element)
the verb: wouldn’t have
the object: effect
However, in the sentence below, if you use it as a VERB, you can change it to affect.
“Eliminating the element would affect the page count.”
In this construction, you have the same gerund subject:
(Eliminating the element)
the verb: would affect
the object: the page count
You could say, “eliminating the element wouldn’t AFFECT the page count………:,” using it as a verb.
The only time ‘effect’ can be a verb is when you are speaking of bringing something into existence, as for example——“The marriage counselor hoped to effect communication between the alienated spouses.”
Effect=verb, transitive
Affect=noun, reflexive
Think movies: Special Effects not Special Affects (unless you are dealing with Ben Affleck, who revels in affectations).
P.S. to Ben, if you read this: nothing personal, just Wordplay
