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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