Use “affect” as the verb in a sentence when you’re talking about producing change or making a difference. That list should affect your understanding of the word. In this case, “affect” would mean “improve.” “Effect” is a noun, and it is the outcome of an event or situation that created a change.

A cause-effect essay tells how one event (the cause) leads to another event (the effect). In other words, your essay may focus more on the effects of a cause or more on the causes of one effect. Either approach provides a useful means of discussing the possible relationship between the two events.

Affect is usually a verb meaning “to produce an effect upon,” as in “the weather affected his mood.” Effect is usually a noun meaning “a change that results when something is done or happens,” as in “computers have had a huge effect on our lives.”

A good rule of thumb to remember for “affect” and “effect” is: If you’re discussing cause and effect and you’re referring to the ending result of said cause, use “effect.” You can remember that “effect” represents the end, as they both start with “e.”

The everyday use of ‘affect’ is the verb, meaning ‘to influence’ (his mood affected me greatly), but it also means ‘to feign’ (he affected nonchalance). The everyday use of ‘effect’ is the noun, meaning ‘result’ (the effect of this has been to make him proud) or ‘influence’ (he has had such an effect on me).

You should use effect as a verb when one thing causes another. To “effect changes” means “to create new changes.” To “affect changes” means “to influence or modify changes already made.” Example: The effect of the new policy to lower wages was obvious from the downcast affect of the office staff.

Positive effect means that the cumulative effects of an alternative are expected to improve the status of the resource relative to its current status under past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.

10 ways you can change the world today

1. Spend your consumer dollar wisely.
2. Know who’s looking after your money (and what they’re doing with it)
3. Give a percentage of your income to charity every year.
4. Give blood (and your organs, when you’re done with them)
5. Avoid that #NewLandfillFeeling.
6. Use the interwebz for good.
7. Volunteer.