Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of returning to my hometown for an early spring break of sorts. By that, I actually mean I missed school for a week to recover from sudden illness by going home and developing very close relationships with my couch and my family’s Netflix account, but that’s beside the point.
Eventually, my parents and I decided it would be wise to actually see a doctor regarding my symptoms. We did so, and said doctor basically told me that I had a nasty case of the flu and that all I could do was let the illness run its course. That wasn’t exactly comforting, and the visit report I received before returning home simply reiterated the same point. “Antibiotic drugs are not effective in viral illnesses,” the first page informed me. “They are only affective when there is a secondary bacterial infection.”
What?
Let me preface this by saying that extreme degrees of illness may impede my ability to attend class. They may diminish my physical stamina until I am reduced to a pathetic state in which I am able to do nothing more than watch children’s movies and consume copious amounts of soup. That may well be, but there’s just something about copy editing instincts that allows them to conveniently operate in any situation, and whether or not I am currently acting as some sort of germ receptacle, I will always insist that “effective” and “affective” are not the same word.
“Effective” is an adjective describing something that produces results. “Affective” is an adjective that is commonly used in psychology and relates to moods and feelings. Lithium is effective in treating bipolar disorder, which is an affective condition. But maybe that’s the psychology major in me talking.
In a broader sense, it follows that “effect” and “affect” are also two different words. Typically, an effect is a consequence resulting from a cause, while to affect is to create an effect. Questionable grammar affects copy editors’ temperaments. Good writing is an effect of literacy. Something like that. Essentially, “effect” is most commonly used as a noun, and “affect” is usually a verb. This is not always the case, however: “Effect” can certainly be a verb, as one can effect a transition, and a flat affect is definitely a noun.
It’s a bit complicated, but practice makes perfect when it comes to mastering anything — word usage included. Reading posts on grammar blogs is always effective.