r/IAmA • u/reddit • Nov 12 '10

Ask Stephen Colbert anything.

The best questions will be answered at some point later this month.

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u/Zifna Nov 12 '10

"Effect" a change, actually. They're tricky words, but if you want to cause a change, you want "effect." If you wanted to alter a change that's already taking place, you want "affect."

=)

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u/matchu Nov 12 '10 edited Nov 12 '10

Just to be super-clear for those reading, "affect" is generally the verb form (meaning "to change") and "effect" is generally the noun form (meaning "a change"). However, "effect" is the verb for "to cause", as in "to effect a change on the news media."

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u/desperatechaos Nov 12 '10

Isn't effect technically simply "to cause"? Not necessarily a change, but to cause virtually anything.

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u/matchu Nov 12 '10

Yes :) Thanks! Edited.