Roger Woodham replies:'efficient' or 'effective'?
affect or effect?
Affect and effect are often confused, Warda, even by native speakers of English. The most important thing to remember is that affect is used as a verb and effect is normally used as a noun. When they are used in this way, they are similar in meaning, signifying influence, impact or change. Compare the following:
- 'The really hot weather affected everybody's ability
to work.'
- 'I know my neighbours play loud music late at night, but that
doesn抰 affect me.I can sleep through anything.'
- 'The number of tourists travelling to Britain this year has
not been affected by the strength of the pound.'
- 'The tablets which he took every four hours had no noticeable
effect on his headache.'
- 'My words of comfort had little effect. She just went on crying and wouldn't stop.'
- 'Repairs could not be effected because the machines were very old.'
efficient effective
These two qualitative adjectives are often confused, Kisy. If somebody or something is efficient, then he, she or it works in a well-organised way, without wasting time or energy. Consider the following examples:
- 'She was efficient in everything she did and was frequently
commended for exemplary service to the organisation.'
- 'He hasn't made very efficient use of his time in revising
for these exams: he has made no notes and his concentration spans
appear to last for no longer than ten minutes.'
- 'This engine is really efficient, it can run for 30 km on only 1 litre of fuel.'
- 'These tablets really are effective. My headache's much
better now.'
- 'The only effective way to avoid hay fever at this time of the year, if you are a sufferer, is to stay indoors.'