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HEReticMarch 13, 2025

The atrocious spelling and misuse of homonyms are the least of this guys problems but it bothers me that such clearly unintelligent people always end up in positions to effect the lives of others.

Clearly stupid and dangerous? Elect him to the city council!

notapatsyMarch 14, 2025(Edited March 14, 2025)

It's "to affect the lives of others." Not "effect." It's affect when used as a verb

He had an effect on the lives of others It's effect when used as a noun

HEReticMarch 14, 2025

See, now I should NOT be elected to city council. Haha this one will always confuse me. I thought affect was just when someone puts on airs and that if it has an effect, you use the word effect. It's my first language, even.

notapatsyMarch 14, 2025

Affect and effect are confusing, like lie and lay.

Affect can also mean the emotional state your face displays. You can have, for example, a "flat aspect" if you're depressed.

Effect can also mean "make happen." "She effected a change in government," for example.

HEReticMarch 15, 2025

So if I had added "have an" before effect it would have worked, right? I found the verb vs noun advice helpful until I read that effect can also be a verb? But it's a verb that means make happen" but not "make change happen", the later should be affect again? Haha this is why Benjamin Franklin and Noah Webster wanted to create a whole new alphabet and scrap our entire system of spelling! English is FUN.

notapatsyMarch 15, 2025(Edited March 15, 2025)

He had an effect on it. You were affected by it.

Want to do lie and lay now?

HEReticMarch 15, 2025

I had to go back and reread your other comments to even understand those two very simple sentences. I'm hopeless.

But, yes, lay it on me!

notapatsyMarch 15, 2025

Present tense:

A person (or an animal) lies down. (no direct object)

You lay a book down on a table. (takes an object)

It's a common mistake to use "lay" when the correct usage is "lie."

Past tense:

The past tense of lie is lay. Last night you lay down to sleep.

The past tense of lay is laid. Last night I laid the book on the table. (takes a direct object)

(If you say the prayer "now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep," you turn yourself into a direct object of yoru own action.)

Confused now?

HEReticMarch 18, 2025

No, this one makes more sense to me. I had to come back to it though because my eyes kept glazing over every time I tried to read it the other day! I think this is for me like when I aced two semesters of stats but was convinced the whole time I didn't understand it, or how I've lived in the same city over a decade now and there is one intersection I will always try to go the wrong way through. I just second guess myself that much.