Misusing Effect Will Affect Your Copywriting
Copywriters are not bound as tightly to grammatical rules, often utilizing literary license to bend the grammar protocols. Using slang and local colloquialisms to target specific audiences and gain trust has long been one of the methods employed to increase market share. This is especially true when it comes to advertising copy and web content.
There are however, certain grammatical boundaries that should never be crossed. One of the most common mistakes found in articles and web content is the misuse and confusion between the words "affect" and "effect". This common mistake can make anyone's prose less credible and will certainly detract from your claim as a master copywriter. To ensure proper grammatical usage, one must understand the meaning of both words and use them with the correct context. According to Miriam-Webster, the definitions of both words are as follows:
Definition of AFFECT
1: obsolete: FEELING, AFFECTION
2: the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes; also: a set of observable manifestations of a subjectively experienced emotion
Definition of EFFECT
1: a) PURPORT, INTENT b) basic meaning: ESSENCE
2: something that inevitably follows an antecedent (as a cause or agent or agent)
Now that the meaning is understood, choosing the proper word for placement in the sentence structure becomes a simpler task. Unless in the medical field, the word "affect" is most commonly used as a verb, whereas the word "effect" is consistently used as a noun. If you are trying to convey a result, then using the word "effect" is appropriate. If you are attempting to describe how one thing impacts something else, then the word "affect" would be the proper choice.
Usage
The following sentences depict grammatically correct usage of both words:
It is difficult to ascertain at this time how the sluggish economy will affect consumer spending trends.
One less than desirable effect of an economic downturn is the increased unemployment compensation claims filed.
A simple rule of thumb to apply to your writing is to utilize the word "effect" when discussing a result created or caused by something else. Typically, you would utilize the word "affect" as a verb to indicate an action of one thing impacting something else. Another easy tip to remember is to utilize the word "effect" in sentences where it will be preceded by and of these words: the, take, into, no, a, an, any.
There are many more words that cause similar difficulty for copywriters. Utilizing a good grammar copywriting tool can help ensure that these types of common grammatical errors never appear in the copy you provide your clients.
There are however, certain grammatical boundaries that should never be crossed. One of the most common mistakes found in articles and web content is the misuse and confusion between the words "affect" and "effect". This common mistake can make anyone's prose less credible and will certainly detract from your claim as a master copywriter. To ensure proper grammatical usage, one must understand the meaning of both words and use them with the correct context. According to Miriam-Webster, the definitions of both words are as follows:
Definition of AFFECT
1: obsolete: FEELING, AFFECTION
2: the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes; also: a set of observable manifestations of a subjectively experienced emotion
Definition of EFFECT
1: a) PURPORT, INTENT b) basic meaning: ESSENCE
2: something that inevitably follows an antecedent (as a cause or agent or agent)
Now that the meaning is understood, choosing the proper word for placement in the sentence structure becomes a simpler task. Unless in the medical field, the word "affect" is most commonly used as a verb, whereas the word "effect" is consistently used as a noun. If you are trying to convey a result, then using the word "effect" is appropriate. If you are attempting to describe how one thing impacts something else, then the word "affect" would be the proper choice.
Usage
The following sentences depict grammatically correct usage of both words:
It is difficult to ascertain at this time how the sluggish economy will affect consumer spending trends.
One less than desirable effect of an economic downturn is the increased unemployment compensation claims filed.
A simple rule of thumb to apply to your writing is to utilize the word "effect" when discussing a result created or caused by something else. Typically, you would utilize the word "affect" as a verb to indicate an action of one thing impacting something else. Another easy tip to remember is to utilize the word "effect" in sentences where it will be preceded by and of these words: the, take, into, no, a, an, any.
There are many more words that cause similar difficulty for copywriters. Utilizing a good grammar copywriting tool can help ensure that these types of common grammatical errors never appear in the copy you provide your clients.
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