Handy grammar guide
POSTED BY: PhoenixRose
UPDATED: Friday, August 17, 2007 18:08
VIEWED: 25478
PAGE 3 of 11
What a great, great thread.
For some reason, I can never remember when to use "affect" and when to use "effect". Any tips?
Sahara
Blackbird fly into the light of the dark, black night.
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Thanks, PhoenixRose! Your reely good to correct our grammer like this. Their are just to many silly mistakes being made these days. Its a real annoyance. Noone should be forced too read threw badly written posts. Hear's hopeing all our post's will be grammer perfect from now on!
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Certainly, Sahara! It's rather comlicated, I might just copy from dictionary.com
Effect:
Something brought about by a cause or agent; a result.
The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence: "The drug had an immediate effect on the pain." "The government's action had no effect on the trade imbalance. "
A scientific law, hypothesis, or phenomenon: the photovoltaic effect.
Advantage; avail: "She used her words to great effect in influencing the jury."
The condition of being in full force or execution: "A new regulation that goes into effect tomorrow."
Something that produces a specific impression or supports a general design or intention: "The lighting effects emphasized the harsh atmosphere of the drama."
A particular impression: "Large windows gave an effect of spaciousness."
Production of a desired impression: "Spent lavishly on dinner just for effect."
The basic or general meaning; import: "He said he was greatly worried, or words to that effect."
effects Movable belongings; goods.
Affect:
To put on a false show of; simulate: "He affected a British accent."
To have an influence on: "Inflation affects the buying power of the dollar."
To attack or infect, as a disease: "Rheumatic fever can affect the heart."
I hope that's clear. Of all similar words, they seem most similar.
"Languages are not just sets of symbols. They also often conform to a rough grammar, or system of rules, used to manipulate the symbols. While a set of symbols may be used for expression or communication, it is primitive and relatively unexpressive, because there are no clear or regular relationships between the symbols. A language that also has a grammar can manipulate its symbols to express clear and regular relationships between them."
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Thank you!
Shiny.
I guess where I get confused is that I think of "The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence:" for "effect" and "To have an influence on:" for "affect" to be almost indistinguishable.
I want it to be as easy as "if you can answer the question with "him", then use "whom" in the question.
Sahara
Blackbird fly into the light of the dark, black night.
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Very welcome, Saraha! Always happy to help. Yes, they seem very similar. Those trip even my mom up at times.
Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:
Thanks, PhoenixRose! Your reely good to correct our grammer like this. Their are just to many silly mistakes being made these days. Its a real annoyance. Noone should be forced too read threw badly written posts. Hear's hopeing all our post's will be grammer perfect from now on!
Are you mocking me? 
"Languages are not just sets of symbols. They also often conform to a rough grammar, or system of rules, used to manipulate the symbols. While a set of symbols may be used for expression or communication, it is primitive and relatively unexpressive, because there are no clear or regular relationships between the symbols. A language that also has a grammar can manipulate its symbols to express clear and regular relationships between them."
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Wow PhoenixRose that's a pretty handy guide (and that's comming from an English major 
). For anyone who wishes to polish up grammar and or/spelling I highly suggest a book simply titled "The Grammar Bible", I don't have the book around otherwise I'd say the author. The author starts from the beginning and gives good examples to polish up that grammar if it's been a while.
IS
The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.
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If I may, I'd like to add something that I see often in grading college papers (something that I never would have imagined that people would confuse for one another):
Then and Than (info. below taken from dictionary.com)
Then:
At that time: I was still in school then. Come at noon; I'll be ready then.
Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward: watched the late movie and then went to bed.
In addition; moreover; besides: It costs $20, and then there's the sales tax to pay.
Used after but to qualify or balance a preceding statement: The star was nervous, but then who isn't on the first night of a new play.
In that case; accordingly: If traffic is heavy, then allow extra time.
As a consequence; therefore: The case, then, is closed.
Than:
Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison: She is a better athlete than I.
Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: He draws quite differently than she does.
When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.
Thanks for starting this thread and I highly recommend Hawkmoth's link cited above!
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Quite excellent, squish!
Knew I was forgetting a few things...
I'm adding that to the top post, just to make reference easier.
"Languages are not just sets of symbols. They also often conform to a rough grammar, or system of rules, used to manipulate the symbols. While a set of symbols may be used for expression or communication, it is primitive and relatively unexpressive, because there are no clear or regular relationships between the symbols. A language that also has a grammar can manipulate its symbols to express clear and regular relationships between them."
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dayve:
I would be eternally grateful to any educator (primary or secondary - English or otherwise) who could effectively teach the proper conjugation of the verb "to see"...
Ok, then.
"Are you going to see it?"
"Will you see it?"
"Have you seen it?"
"Did you see it?"
"Yes, I saw it."
"No, I haven't seen it."
"No I didn't see it."
"Has he seen it?"
"No, he hasn't seen it."
"No, he didn't see it."
"Yes, he saw it."
Is that all clear?
"Languages are not just sets of symbols. They also often conform to a rough grammar, or system of rules, used to manipulate the symbols. While a set of symbols may be used for expression or communication, it is primitive and relatively unexpressive, because there are no clear or regular relationships between the symbols. A language that also has a grammar can manipulate its symbols to express clear and regular relationships between them."
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