When people speak, they use words to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Speakers use various linguistic devices to express themselves effectively, including verbs and adjectives.
Affecting change refers to the physical act of making something different from what it was before; effecting change refers to the outcome of that action.
Effecting change is the process of bringing about that transformation. And while affecting change may sound similar, it is a broader concept that refers to influencing and motivating individuals and groups to adopt new behaviors or ideas.
Let’s discuss these two phrases in detail.
What Is Meant By “Affecting Change?”
Affecting change typically refers to an effect on the environment or circumstances around someone or something. In general, affecting change is about making a meaningful impact on our surroundings.
It can be used as a verb when referring to an action with a desired or intended outcome or as a noun to describe the act of bringing about such an outcome. In either case, it’s important to be clear about what is specifically referred to when using this term.
In terms of grammar, the terms “affecting” and “changing” both require a verb tense – you need to be able to say “the changing affected me” for this usage to make sense.
So when it comes to affecting change, there are two different tenses you need to be aware of: the present perfect (the past has already happened, and the action is still taking place) and the future simple (the future will happen exactly as planned).
The present perfect tense is usually used for actions that have already taken place and have impacted somebody – for example, “The incident has affected me profoundly.”
The future simple tense is used for situations where something has yet to take place but will eventually have an impact – for example, “I plan on affecting change soon.”
What Is Meant By “Effecting Change”?
Effecting change can be defined as producing the desired result or the ability to influence and impact a particular situation.
The term “effecting change” is often used in English to mean affecting the behavior or outcomes of something. Generally, the verb “to effect” means to bring about, cause, or result in. The noun “effect” refers to an outcome or consequence.
When people refer to “effecting change,” they usually mean making tangible changes in the external environment. For example, they might want to hire a new boss or change a regulation affecting their business.
Every individual has the potential to effect change; in fact, it is at the heart of who we are as human beings. Change can be positive—a transformation from a shy person into an outspoken one, for instance—or negative—the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
Change is never easy, regardless of its intent or effect, but it invariably leads to improved circumstances. To achieve lasting success, individuals must learn how to effect change effectively.
Know The Difference Between “Affecting Change” And “Effecting Change”
Effecting change is doing something to make a difference while affecting change influences what happens. You can use the two terms interchangeably, but there are some important distinctions to keep in mind.
- Effecting change requires a certain degree of planning and strategy and the ability to execute those plans.
- Affecting change, on the other hand, requires more raw energy and effort – if you want something to happen, all you need is a goal and determination.
- Affecting change can be more passive – you may not even know you’re affecting things until after.
- Effecting change, however, has a much clearer impact – it’s often more noticeable and tangible. And because it’s so effective at achieving results, it’s often seen as the preferable option when making changes.
- Effecting change is more about creating the desired outcome while affecting change is more about bringing about new behaviors.
For example, if you want someone to stop smoking, you would need to effect change; they would need to see the consequences of their behavior (e.g., health problems) and choose to stop. If you want someone to start wearing sunscreen, you would need to affect change; they would need to see the benefits of wearing sunscreen (e.g., Looks good!)
Here is a table summarizing the differences between these two phrases.
| Affecting Change | Effecting Change |
| It requires more raw energy and effort. | It requires planning, strategy, and execution. |
| It is a passive change. | It is an active change. |
| It is non-tangible. | It is tangible. |
| Affecting change is about introducing new behaviors. | The goal of effecting change is to bring about the desired result. |
How Do You Use “Effecting” In A Sentence?
Some of the examples of how you can use the word “effecting” are:
- Effecting can be used in a sentence to mean “having an impact on” or “spurring on.”
For example, a teacher might say, “I’m trying to effect positive change in the classroom,” to indicate that they are working towards making changes in the class.
- Effecting can also be used figuratively to describe something with a noticeable consequence.
For example, when someone says, “The party was so effecting that no one wanted to stay sober,” they indicate that the party had a significant impact on the attendees – many of whom didn’t want to drink alcohol after it ended.
In both cases, the word conveys something notable and significant going on.
- When effecting is used descriptively, it often carries a more professional tone than metaphorically.
For example, suppose someone says they are trying to effect positive change in their workplace.
It’s important to use the correct tone of voice for the situation – formal or informal – so that people understand what you are trying to say.
Can “Affect” And “Effect” Be Used In The Same Sentence?
It is often thought that “affect” and “effect” are interchangeable so that you can use them in the same sentence, but this is not the case.
While both words can be used as verbs, affect is often used as a verb meaning “to influence or change,” while “effect” is used as a verb meaning “to bring about.” As a noun, “affect” is most often used to refer to emotions or feelings, while “effect” refers to results or outcomes.
“Affect” is used more frequently as a verb, while “effect” is used more frequently as a noun. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
For example, the word “affect” can be used as a noun in psychology to refer to someone’s outward behavior or demeanor, while the word “effect” can be used as a verb in phrases such as “to take effect.”
Here is a short clip explaining the difference between “effect” and “affect.”
Why Do People Confuse “Affect” and “Effect?”
Affect, and effect are two words that are often confused, largely because they are both used as verbs.
Affect can be used as a verb meaning ‘to influence’ or ‘to produce an effect on, as in the following examples:
- The cold weather is affecting my health.
- His comments affected her deeply.
- In these examples, affect is a transitive verb and takes an object.
“Effect,” on the other hand, is mostly used as a noun meaning ‘result’ or ‘consequence.’ For example,
- The cold weather had a bad effect on her health.
- His comments had a deep effect on her.
However, “effect” can also be used as a verb meaning ‘to cause something to happen’ or ‘to bring about a change.’
- The medicine might take effect within an hour.
So, to summarise, “affect” is mainly used as a verb meaning ‘to influence’ or ‘to have an impact on,’ while “effect” is mainly used as a noun meaning ‘result’ or ‘consequence.’ However, both words can also be used as verbs with different meanings.
Final Takeaway
- Affecting change means making something different from what it was before.
- Effecting change refers to the result of the affecting change.
- Effecting change means doing something to make a difference whereas affecting change is all about behaviors and raw energy.
- Effecting change is tangible as you can plan it properly while affecting change is a non-tangible thing that you can only observe.