Anything strike you as odd about this sentence?

[mint]

Yes, effect is a noun and it means something like result.

affect is a verb and means something like have a bearing on.

So, the effect of drinking too much alcohol is bad for the health.

I am greatly affected by the alcohol I drink and cannot walk straight.

That's off the top of my head and I shall now go to the OED.....but it's a warm evening and I can't be bothered to go and find the dictionary.

Edit:  affect can also be a noun but is usually used in a very specific way in Psychology, for example, and effect can also be a verb but is also used in a specific way.  For most everyday purposes, I believe my explanation is sufficient but I am always open to other explanations.

[Rabbie]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="idun"]And I am wearing a very nice pendant[:D][/quote][:)]

The pedants are revolting?[Www]

[/quote] I resent that! [:D] We pedants are very law abiding and respect the rules[:)]

[mint]

[quote user="Rabbie"][quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="idun"]And I am wearing a very nice pendant[:D][/quote][:)]

The pedants are revolting?[Www]

[/quote] I resent that! [:D] We pedants are very law abiding and respect the rules[:)][/quote]

But, who makes the rules in the first place?

[woolybanana]

Pendants - they have nothing to do beyond just hanging around.[6]

[mint]

And if you are a DEpendant, you still hang around but then you expect someone else to do the work for you?

[woolybanana]

Well, logically, a dependant should be someone who is a former pendant but who has broken the chain, or the shackles which bound them. Thus we have the verb to dependant, meaning to free from hanging around and being judgemental; perhaps there are gangs of people, called snatch squads going around breaking chains, called dependanters, rather like those who used to open ferrets and ladies cages to stop them being skinned and worn.

[powerdesal]

I presume to 'open a ferret' you would need quite a sharp knife, it would probably help if said ferret was really an ex-ferret as in a ferret no more.

Why would you have ladies in cages (don't answer that !!!) and why on earth would you want skin one and wear it ?

[Frecossais]

What must not be forgotten in all this are the Suspendants, who may belong to one or two categories:

The first are the Scottish Union of students pendants, (a body which supports hanging)

The second are what the police call suspect pendants. They might or might not be pendants, and deny all participation in any form of pendantry.

Sweet 17, thanks for the clarification. what has confused me is seeing "effect" used as a verb. I will now look for an example of this to show what I mean.   

[cooperlola]

One can "effect change", can one not?

[mint]

One certainly can, Coops.

OK then, back to Square One, and perhaps I should have said mais il y a des exceptions, alors!

Actually, I was only thinking of effect as a noun but it's usually in the plural as in "the effects of the dead man didn't amount to much"

Edit:  perhaps these are words that are best learnt through use?  I've just thought of "the effect of George Osborne's cuts is to devastate the economy"....no joking matter.

Hey, Coops, do you remember when we had "learned" and "learnt" at some point in the past?[:'(]

And we won't discuss "lie" and "lay" this evening.  It's been too hot and I am bushed.

 

 

[Russethouse]

http://grammartips.homestead.com/affect.html Any help ?

 I also have problems with this, esp when I'm tired or in a hurry..

[woolybanana]

PD, A thread on grammar, therefore no apostrophe; ferrets are cousins or something of those nasty fur coat creatures whose cages were opened by liberationists. As to ladies in cages, wel, well, I can see you had too many years in the Middle East!

[mint]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

http://grammartips.homestead.com/affect.html Any help ?

 I also have problems with this, esp when I'm tired or in a hurry..

[/quote]

Thank you, RH.  I don't feel too bad now and I didn't mislead Frecossais too much![:D]

[cooperlola]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

One certainly can, Coops.

OK then, back to Square One, and perhaps I should have said mais il y a des exceptions, alors!

Actually, I was only thinking of effect as a noun but it's usually in the plural as in "the effects of the dead man didn't amount to much"

Edit:  perhaps these are words that are best learnt through use?  I've just thought of "the effect of George Osborne's cuts is to devastate the economy"....no joking matter.

Hey, Coops, do you remember when we had "learned" and "learnt" at some point in the past?[:'(]

And we won't discuss "lie" and "lay" this evening.  It's been too hot and I am bushed.

[/quote]I was only responding to Frecossais.  I agree with you and the person in RH's link - best to think of effect as a noun and affect as a verb and forget the exceptions because that way you will be right the majority of the time.  Assuming, of course, that your audience knows what verbs and nouns are.  I guess most on here do but does this generation of pupils and students learn parts of speach?  For instance, I hate to hear quicker used as an adverb - to me it's an adjective and one can only run more quickly - one cannot run/drive/walk etc quicker.  But if I say this I wonder if anybody understands what I mean any more by the words adverb and adjective.  However, I start sentences with prepositions every day and will continue to do so, even though it was a total no-no when I was at school.  We all have "errors" of grammar which we find acceptable and those which wind us up.  Lie and lay, well, I'm with you - really irritating when I hear them used wrongly.  I do wish people would teach their dogs correct grammar and tell them to lie down.[:)]

I do indeed remember the learned and learnt conversation.  My blood pressure goes up when I hear people say they "earnt money" also.  Grrr.  But then I imagine my spelling amuses and/or annoys people at times too.  We all have our blind spots.

[woolybanana]

So, what part of speech is Bless, then?[6]

[cooperlola]

Stop it, you naughty banana.  [;-)]

[mint]

En plus, Wools, Coops has some very hefty looking crutches.

Don't say I didn't warn you if you end up blessé     [:D][:P]

[woolybanana]

How ya doin Coops? Typing in the garden with a nice drinky?

[cooperlola]

I am indoors (sun too bright for screens at the mo') and it's a bit early for a drink (19.30 is the witching hour chez the Coops.)  But I am fine, thanks, gearing up for the weekend when the cars start to arrive.[:)][:)]

Sweets, I'm not sure you should refer to a woman's crutches as hefty (although I admit that they certainly need to be for the new Supersize Coop[Www])

[Rabbie]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="sweet 17"]

One certainly can, Coops.

OK then, back to Square One, and perhaps I should have said mais il y a des exceptions, alors!

Actually, I was only thinking of effect as a noun but it's usually in the plural as in "the effects of the dead man didn't amount to much"

Edit:  perhaps these are words that are best learnt through use?  I've just thought of "the effect of George Osborne's cuts is to devastate the economy"....no joking matter.

Hey, Coops, do you remember when we had "learned" and "learnt" at some point in the past?[:'(]

And we won't discuss "lie" and "lay" this evening.  It's been too hot and I am bushed.

[/quote]I was only responding to Frecossais.  I agree with you and the person in RH's link - best to think of effect as a noun and affect as a verb and forget the exceptions because that way you will be right the majority of the time.  Assuming, of course, that your audience knows what verbs and nouns are.  I guess most on here do but does this generation of pupils and students learn parts of speach?  For instance, I hate to hear quicker used as an adverb - to me it's an adjective and one can only run more quickly - one cannot run/drive/walk etc quicker.  But if I say this I wonder if anybody understands what I mean any more by the words adverb and adjective.  However, I start sentences with prepositions every day and will continue to do so, even though it was a total no-no when I was at school.  We all have "errors" of grammar which we find acceptable and those which wind us up.  Lie and lay, well, I'm with you - really irritating when I hear them used wrongly.  I do wish people would teach their dogs correct grammar and tell them to lie down.[:)]

I do indeed remember the leaned and learnt conversation.  My blood pressure goes up when I hear people say they "earnt money" also.  Grrr.  But then I imagine my spelling amuses and/or annoys people at times too.  We all have our blind spots.

[/quote]I was always taught that it was OK to start a sentence with a preposition ie "In the morning..." but not to end a sentence with one. I was also taught not to start a sentence with a conjuction like "And" or "But". However language is an organic thing and always changing so the rules are not set in concrete. I think you just need to make sure there is a pleasant rhythm to what you write/say.

[Frecossais]

"I was always taught that it was OK to start a sentence with a

preposition ie "In the morning..." but not to end a sentence with one. I

was also taught not to start a sentence with a conjuction like "And" or

"But". However language is an organic thing and always changing so the

rules are not set in concrete. I think you just need to make sure there

is a pleasant rhythm to what you write/say."

I love the idea of a pleasant thythm in what we write and say, Rabbie. I go along with that.

Sweet 17, I thought you effected your explanation of the difference between effect and affect perfectly well, and thank you Russethouse for the link. I have been greatly affected by your helpful posts, both of you.

Now, have I got that right?

[mint]

Bravo, Frecossais![:D][:D][:D]

[bubbles]

Just had (yet) another "difference of opinion" with OH.

This time it was after an advertisement for I think Fiat cars.

The little car has "less emissions" apparently.

I screamed (fairly) quietly and was treated to a lecture on the change of use of language and how David Cameron and his ilk are at an unfair advantage over the rest of the nation because he went to Eton and know the "nobs'" version of language which began to be introduced in the 15th century.

"Sir" has been reading Melvyn Bragg's "The Adventure of English" .

Have come to the computer to avoid a real evening of argument - mine being that, at this rate of evolving of language, we will soon resort to just grunting at each other and adding "well, you know what I mean"

Thanks for listening.

I feel a bit better now.

[woolybanana]

Actually it was all the fault of the Normans (no, not the one who is in a Gaddafi charm school). Anyway, good clear English is not nobs English, it is just a good way of communicating. Were our kids taught good clear speaking and the rest, there would be less misunderstanding and fewer misunderstandings, rather than the shapeless grunting (well said bubbles) that goes in nowadays.

[cooperlola]

Fewer emissions.  Like you, this makes me grind my teeth, Bubbles.

You can have less of one thing, but only fewer of several. 

This car emits less carbon monoxide.  This car emits fewer carbon monoxide particles.  Simples.

I don't see why knowing simple rules like this makes you a snob.  My father was the son of a coal miner and was an English teacher.  He taught me that - I didn't need to go to an elitist boys' school to learn it.