tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post6942450985491740524..comments2024-01-19T11:41:09.359+13:00Comments on A Hebridean in New Zealand: Affect and EffectGBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-51742074046135693252014-02-11T08:06:09.038+13:002014-02-11T08:06:09.038+13:00Virginia I, too, should have no problems with &quo...Virginia I, too, should have no problems with "affect" and "effect" academically nor with spelling. Why now after all those decades of no problems am I developing them? It's a worry!GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-53459075218140715542014-02-11T00:53:35.730+13:002014-02-11T00:53:35.730+13:00Jenny I always remember with this little rhyme I w...Jenny I always remember with this little rhyme I was taught at school..."i" before "e" except after "c"<br />Therefore "niece" and "receive."<br />Hope this helps in future.VirginiaChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17282569773671179047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-25230834840056656442014-02-11T00:50:06.112+13:002014-02-11T00:50:06.112+13:00Having a very strict English teacher at a private ...Having a very strict English teacher at a private school, I don't think I will ever make the mistake of confusing "affect" and "effect."<br />What I do find happening with me as I get older is I tend to forget the correct spelling of everyday words.<br />When I write them down, they look wrong, and I question myself, then search online only to discover that it's right.....sometimes the only difference being the US spelling vs.the English spelling.<br />I'm always being told "You're too British" but The English language was invented by the British and I love spelling my words correctly....smile.<br />I do believe it's all the texting that's problematic these days for the correct use of the English language.VirginiaChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17282569773671179047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-36133125556400407362014-02-10T03:29:37.918+13:002014-02-10T03:29:37.918+13:00Adrian, that should be practice with a C! Sigh.......Adrian, that should be practice with a C! Sigh....Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-23845010981017807152014-02-09T20:13:45.683+13:002014-02-09T20:13:45.683+13:00Frances, you haven't met my GP. A visit always...Frances, you haven't met my GP. A visit always seems like a practise or rehearsal, my solicitor is much the same. ADRIANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07113961163396562781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-87136859885290277712014-02-09T15:26:24.919+13:002014-02-09T15:26:24.919+13:00Carol you are just sooo funny.Carol you are just sooo funny.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-80358622331095488352014-02-09T15:25:50.913+13:002014-02-09T15:25:50.913+13:00Nathaniel I did say 'typically' and 'm...Nathaniel I did say 'typically' and 'most commonly' because, as you say each can be used as either although <i>affect</i> is chiefly used as a verb and <i>effect</i> more commonly used as both. Unfortunately the shows that you mentioned are not ones of which I have ever heard. GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-16246388391741681012014-02-09T14:54:31.568+13:002014-02-09T14:54:31.568+13:00I was very affected by the effects of your post. ...I was very affected by the effects of your post. Love you! xoxoxCanadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-21611161485220371062014-02-09T14:13:37.774+13:002014-02-09T14:13:37.774+13:00I actually teach English for a living. (I say &quo...I actually teach English for a living. (I say "actually" because my thick Southern (United States) accent often causes those who speak to me in passing to assume that since I sound like Jim Nabors (if you remember The Andy Griffith Show, he was the actor who portrayed Gomer Pyle, who was known for such exclamations as "Goooooo-leeee!" and "Shazam, Shazam!") then I have roughly the same facility with English grammar and vocabulary. Ahem, rambling.<br /><br />Anyway, you are right, people constantly mix up those two words. Adding to the confusion, I believe (and this is just off the top of my head, so people who know better can feel free to correct me) "effect" can ALSO be a verb (as in: "We will effect change." - change will be put into effect) and "affect" can ALSO be a noun (as in: "He had a grim affect." - his face looked angry). At the end of the day, I think English speakers the world round will probably admit... maybe it would have been better if one of the Romance languages had conquered the world. Or perhaps Mandarin; at least the characters have some artistic value.Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137523010954119973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-13207476073420781562014-02-09T08:48:51.475+13:002014-02-09T08:48:51.475+13:00My most used online dictionary did not know the wo...My most used online dictionary did not know the word 'confusticate'. Neither did I, but now I do. (For how long I will remember it, is another matter.) One word that often makes me hesitate in English when I need to spell it is 'appreciate'. For some reason I tend to want to put 'ea' in the middle instead of just e. DawnTreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533307672147117843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-21601768307270872882014-02-09T08:19:15.921+13:002014-02-09T08:19:15.921+13:00Jenny the spillchucker has so much for which to an...Jenny the spillchucker has so much for which to answer. The number of times I look back over a sentence (on my iPad or iPhone not my Mac) and find a 'correction' that the spillchucker has made is greater than I would wish. The number of times I just don't notice is downright irritating.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-7236889921065532692014-02-09T08:15:03.471+13:002014-02-09T08:15:03.471+13:00I'm sure that you are correct Red. Perhaps so...I'm sure that you are correct Red. Perhaps someone does. My brother CJ has written a blog on obscure words.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-47601508253688474422014-02-09T08:13:10.567+13:002014-02-09T08:13:10.567+13:00Oh Frances that is symptomatic of that which is go...Oh Frances that is symptomatic of that which is going to happen more and more as children use text speak and English 'as she is spoke' rather than correct English. After all some of the worst spellers I know are teachers.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-76859045284649814322014-02-09T08:10:39.478+13:002014-02-09T08:10:39.478+13:00It's very interesting Meike and Monica (potent...It's very interesting Meike and Monica (potential start for an alliteration there) that as two non-native English speakers your English is invariably impeccable. I would imagine that your native language is as well. Sometimes a spelling problem or use of an incorrectly used word (I'm sure that I must have occasionally put a stray apostrophe into 'its') is simply carelessness. Some people are dyslexic (and very mild dyslexia is sometimes not even recognised by the person who has it). I would regard myself as reasonably adept in the use of the English language having learned grammar from first principles at school and I was once an excellent speller but some words just confusticate me. For the first six decades of my life, for example, I always wanted to spell 'across' 'accross'.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-20969755954951194852014-02-09T07:57:44.109+13:002014-02-09T07:57:44.109+13:00I can always count on you two (Adrian and Frances)...I can always count on you two (Adrian and Frances) for a good chuckle.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-60367667087029895632014-02-09T07:56:37.386+13:002014-02-09T07:56:37.386+13:00That's it Mark. I, too, know the difference a...That's it Mark. I, too, know the difference academically. It's just that recently I've had to stop and think. I'm sure my age has nothing at all to do with it.......hmmm.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289400344300258872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-67773255074719811972014-02-09T07:40:52.524+13:002014-02-09T07:40:52.524+13:00It's funny how certain things just won't s...It's funny how certain things just won't stick, isn't it. I'm OK with affect and effect, but ask me to spell neice (or is it niece) and I'm stumped. (Except that the spell checker knows it is "niece") !Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-6311155479347242942014-02-09T07:23:01.876+13:002014-02-09T07:23:01.876+13:00I guess Ill just have to remember that affect is &...I guess Ill just have to remember that affect is "act" I think you could make an entire daily blog of examples of words used incorrectly.Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996243850279671523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-64146292542167128372014-02-09T06:15:40.875+13:002014-02-09T06:15:40.875+13:00My experience is similar to Meike's, i.e. havi...My experience is similar to Meike's, i.e. having English as 2nd language and yet often noticing mistakes made by native writers. But I guess some people just find it easier than others to pick up spelling (or grammar). Sometimes learning a foreign language can even be an advantage because you get taught the "rules" (and exceptions) in a different way than in your native language. I suspect that in English I also look up more words, while in Swedish I settle for a vague sense of recognition. (Sometimes when I come across a strange word in English, and look it up in an English-Swedish dictionary, I find that I still don't know what it is!)DawnTreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533307672147117843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-43863316885761452742014-02-09T05:38:53.378+13:002014-02-09T05:38:53.378+13:00One of my betes noire is "of" instead of...One of my betes noire is "of" instead of "have"; ie "I could of worn my pyjamas".Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-11270475573376006182014-02-09T05:36:24.342+13:002014-02-09T05:36:24.342+13:00So you go and visit the doctor at his rehearsal, d...So you go and visit the doctor at his rehearsal, do you? Mmmm.Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-88325922267765118272014-02-09T02:03:18.113+13:002014-02-09T02:03:18.113+13:00PS. or use another word like rehearsal.PS. or use another word like rehearsal.ADRIANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07113961163396562781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-33800169745558128982014-02-09T02:02:03.981+13:002014-02-09T02:02:03.981+13:00Frances, I'm not completely daft. One starts w...Frances, I'm not completely daft. One starts with an 'e' and the other with an 'a'.<br />The real poser for me is practise and practice. I must confess I just alternate them for variety.ADRIANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07113961163396562781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-3855148826977766142014-02-09T01:24:38.677+13:002014-02-09T01:24:38.677+13:00Come, come, Adrian. I don't believe you.Come, come, Adrian. I don't believe you.Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495553397518653924.post-82198618219240752632014-02-09T00:41:03.004+13:002014-02-09T00:41:03.004+13:00I was never confused by this but have very often n...I was never confused by this but have very often noticed the words used wrongly (by native speakers). I also often see "then" and "than" confused on other people's blogs (again, native speakers), as well as "its" and "it's". None of these have ever been unclear or confusing to me, so I don't really see why they seem so problematic to others.<br />Similarly, in German, the addressing "Sie" (as in "Was machen Sie da?" = "What are you doing?") is so often confused (by native speakers) with the plural "sie" (spelled with a small s, not a capital one; as in "Was machen sie [die vielen Leute] da?" = "What are they [all these people] doing?"), and I can't understand why this should ever be unclear if one knows the context.<br />Sorry about making such a complicated comment, Graham. You know sometimes it takes little to trigger me off.<br />And yes, life is just life really, no matter where you are. Differences are mostly outwards.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.com