What's an easy way to remember when to use "affect" or "effect"? [duplicate]

Is there an easy way to remember when to use the word affect or effect in a sentence? It is very confusing, and I still get them mixed up.

Solution 1:

Ask yourself the question, did the object already exist before the effecting or affecting? If it did not, use effect; if it did, use affect.

Effect comes from Latin efficere, from ex-, "out", and facere, "to cause/make/do". When you effect something, you cause something to exist that didn't exist before: first it was in the darkness of nothingness, then it comes "out" into the world of reality. Notice the parallel to ex- in exist.

Affect comes from Latin afficere, from ad-, "to, in addition", and facere. When you affect something, you cause something to happen to a thing that already existed; you do something to it in addition to the fact that it already exists.

Solution 2:

You could think of cause and effect:

• Use affect when talking about the influence, the cause.

• Use effect when talking about the consequence, the result.