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The downed power line had an impact on some power customers: they were without electricity overnight.Įffect is most commonly used as a noun meaning "the result or impact of something, an outcome." If there's "a/an/the" in front of it, it's an effect. It means to influence something, such as in the headline from the Albuquerque News: You can't affect the creepy poem by reading it, but you can enjoy the effect of a talking bird. Think of Edgar Allan Poe and his RAVEN: Remember A ffect Verb E ffect Noun.
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Choosing between affect and effect can be scary.
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