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 > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/