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Subject:
From:
Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:57:25 -0500
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   I tend to use "effect' as a verb fairly routinely, and now I'm
wondering if I am somewhat alone with this.>
   I think it would be routine to say "Strong congressional opposition
will have no effect on administration policy." Would it also be routine
to say (for anyone but me) "Strong congressional opposition will not
effect administration policy?" (I like the tighter structure that the
verb allows.)
   Or something like "Global warming may not effect local temperature"?
(Ignoring the truth value of the statement.)It just seems better to me
than the wordier "have an effect on."
   It wouldn't be the first time I'm all alone with a practice.

Craig


Good point about context, Bill.  I recall a doctoral defense a number of
> years ago where candidate had done a study of the acquisition of stress
> in English-speaking children.  The outside member was from the College
> of Business, and we had to explain in some detail what linguists meant
> and did not mean by stress.
>
> Herb
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Spruiell, William C
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 4:50 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Comments?
>
> Craig et al.,
>
> Johanna's use of "affect" as a noun points out a particularly important
> point about this usage: whereas "effect" as a verb is simply
> low-frequency, or perhaps trending toward archaic, "affect" as a noun is
> field-specific. The noun "affect," to my knowledge, is used in
> psychology, drama, and (I assume) voice/video journalism, but that's
> about it (and it's pronounced with stress on the first syllable).
>
> As a more general pedagogic note, I think we need to introduce students
> fairly early on to the idea that particular disciplines (or social
> groups, etc.) develop their own usages of words, and that asking what a
> word "means" sometimes involves asking "to whom?" along with it. After
> seeing a biology major's bout of confusion in my linguistics course
> years ago, I now know to point out explicitly that when a linguist uses
> the term "morphology," it does not have the same meaning that the term
> has in biology (to a biologist, it would make sense to use "morphology"
> for sentence structure and syllable structure as well as what linguists
> use it for, word structure).
>
> Bill Spruiell
> Dept. of English
> Central Michigan University
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig Hancock
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 12:31 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Comments?
>
> Johanna,
>    This comes very close to my own understanding. "Affect" means
> something
> like working on someone emotionally or intellectually (the verb) or the
> emotional or intellectual change that results from an influence (as
> noun). "Effect" is more objective, more mechanical. I also like the
> idea that "effect" can be wider in meaning, that "affect" tends to
> narrow down the nature of the change. I can have an effect on someone's
> life by giving them money. If I affect it, the implication would be
> that I influenced a change in character or emotion, a change in the
> subjective quality of the life. American Heritage tells me that the two
> words "have no meanings in common." My Webster's collegiate actually
> describes overlap. No wonder the world is confused.
>     I have seen the distinction described in very different ways, a few
> times by people who are sure enough to call my own uses wrong.
>    I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use "effect" as a verb. It just
> means
> something like "bring about". "affect" is closer to "influence."
>    Of course, we could all also vote for letting use dynamically settle
> it. Why dictate? I tend to shy away from "affect" because it has
> wonderful synonyms.
>
> Craig
>
>
> I made up a sentence demonstrating the different uses of "affect" and
>> "effect" for fun:
>>
>> "An effective treatment for phobias is to use desensitization therapy
>> to effect the desired affective response, having a beneficial effect
>> on the patient's affect. "
>>
>> We could go further with the verb use of "affect":
>>
>> "Phobias so serious that they adversely affect the patient's social
>> life can be treated effectively with desensitization therapy, which
>> effects the desired affective response, having a beneficial effect on
>> the patient's affect."
>>
>> Not exactly a stylistic prize-winner, but fun nevertheless.
>>
>> Dr. Johanna Rubba, Ph. D.
>> Associate Professor, Linguistics
>> Linguistics Minor Advisor
>> English Dept.
>> Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo
>> San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
>> Ofc. tel. : 805-756-2184
>> Dept. tel.: 805-756-2596
>> Dept. fax: 805-756-6374
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>> URL: cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
>>
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