Catholic English

In the last podcast, talking about St Ignatius of Loyola, I said:

[he noticed] that holy books affect him much more positively than popular heroic, or chivalrous, romances.

and,

This is an effect of modesty. Ignatius didn’t want to boast about himself

We might be able to see the difference in meaning from the context, but even as a native speaker these two words used to confuse me when I was younger. So let’s try to make it a bit clearer.

Usually, an effect is a noun (a thing), and to affect is a verb, an action that changes something.

Affect

Holy books affected (past tense) St Ignatius – they changed him, they moved him. He felt something inside him, he could then understand the world in different ways.

Sometimes we can say ‘that was a very moving funeral service,’ or that was a very moving event or book or film.’ These two words are very close to each other, and they can help to understand each other. If something is moving, that means it affects us, often emotionally. We can be moved to tears (happy or sad tears), moved to laughter, even moved to anger or jealousy.

[All these internal, emotional things (tears, laughter, anger, jealousy) are affects, which can be a little confusing, because an affect can also be a noun:

affect (noun): the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion

WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 Princeton University

There is another meaning or sense of to affect: it can mean to pretend. Children can pretend to be doctors or nurses, or cats or dogs. This is fine. But if an adult affects to be wise, it could have bad consequences.

Affection, affectionate

We feel affects (feelings), and we can also feel affection for something or someone. If we feel affection for someone, we certainly like them and care about them, and we may also love them.

If someone is very caring or loving, we can describe them as affectionate.

Effect

The effects of modesty, the things, the signs of modesty, include: people not boasting about themselves [not speaking about how good, or clever, or rich they are], not seeking credit for their works, not thinking that they are better than other people, etc.

We can say that the effect of drinking too much wine is being (or getting) drunk.

One effect of very salty water (like in the Dead Sea) is that things float in it more easily.

Effects are often visible, or at least scientifically measurable. Affects are more personal (subjective) and relate to feelings. They usually can’t be measured scientifically.

Just like affect is usually a verb, but can be a noun, also effect is usually a noun, but can be a verb: we can ‘effect a change’ in something. The Government might change laws about tobacco, to effect a change in people’s smoking habits, for example.

Effective

If something is effective, it means that it works, it’s successful – it has a good effect, a good result.

Examples from the bible

With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there. (Genesis 43:30)

Joseph was about to weep – he was about to cry with emotion. He was overcome with affection – he felt such a lot of care and love that he couldn’t control himself, he couldn’t keep up his official, unemotional state, so he had to go somewhere else to cry in private.

I remember with affection your esteem and goodwill. (2 Maccebees 9:21)

I remember with good feelings your respect and positivity (in modern language.)

Your wickedness affects others like you, and your righteousness, other human beings. (Job 35:8)

If you’re wicked, bad, this badness will make other people around you bad (affect them like you), and if you’re good… I have a question here: what’s the difference between ‘others like you’ and ‘other human beings?’ Does the term which is translated as human beings mean people who are aspiring to follow the word of God, and ‘others like you’ mean those who are fallen…?

love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)

Amen!

He also sent letters to the same effect to the Spartans and to other places. (1 Maccabees 12:2)

‘To the same effect’ means ‘saying the same thing.’ It suggests that there was a certain plan – to have a certain effect – and there was: to reaffirm friendship with the Romans, the Spartans and others.

and he wrote out a copy of a marriage contract, to the effect that he gave her to him as wife according to the decree of the law of Moses. (Tobit 7:13)

This phrase, ‘to the effect that’ is still often used in legal contexts, as it is here. For example, ‘I am writing this letter to the effect that in one month your employment will cease.’ This means that the letter is a formal notification, effective in law, that your job will finish (cease).

The effect of righteousness will be peace (Isiah 32:17)

The law and the prophets were in effect until John [the Baptist] came (Luke 16:16)

If something, often a law, is ‘in effect‘ it means that it is active, that it is ‘in force’ (to use the legal terminology) and we should obey it.

And finally, this beautiful quote from James 1:4

and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

You can look at all the places that the word effect is found in the bible here. If there are any more of these examples that need explaining, ask in the comments below.

I hope that you have found this useful. Do check out my podcasts and other resources on this website. Many thanks, and God bless.