These two words are often confused.
Check out these two questions that basically ask the same question:
How were you affected?
What was the effect on you?
But ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ do have their proper definitions and grammatical roles.
Affect is usually a verb – an action that influences someone or something
Example:
Canada’s cold and dark winter months affect people in a negative way.
Effect is usually a noun - the end result an action has on someone or something
Example:
Canada’s cold and dark winter months have a negative effect on people.
Admittedly, ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ do have alternate meanings when used in different parts of speech. However, it’s safe to say that you’ll be right 98% of the time if you stick to these simple rules.
Affect = verb
Effect = noun
Affect is an Action. Effect is the End result.
Try this quiz and see if you've got it!