Effect

Noun or verb?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Both (but usually a noun):

One effect [noun] of incorrectly marking a student's paper is that the student may not effect [verb] positive change.
Anonymous said…
The same goes for affect (but it is usually a verb):

Her poor marks distressed the student quite a lot; during the class she showed considerable affect [noun], and although this emotional display did affect [verb] my own disposition, it did not mean that my decision to fail her was incorrect.
DS said…
Those are fine examples but I am looking for opinions other than yours because I have a feeling I might rekindle our conversation about the whole affect/effect thing.

Gemma, Retro, Robert, Tim Train, Martin Kingsley, Rups - care to share or is this just too boring?
TimT said…
Neither noun nor verb.

It's a nerb.
TimT said…
I checked in Macquarie, it accepts both noun and verb - eg,

noun 1. that which is produced by some agency or cause; a result; a consequence: the effect of heat.

- and

--verb (t) 9. to produce as an effect; bring about; accomplish; make happen.
DS said…
Aha! I will ponder this.
Gemnastics said…
i would have said noun without looking it up.
DS said…
That's what the people in my office said. My boss was quite firm about the words retaining their status as nouns despite some contemporary use as verbs.
Anonymous said…
Nah, the people in your office are wrong.
Anonymous said…
I mean, what would a bunch of writers know about grammar, anyway?