“Affecting” and “effecting” are not as tricky to sort out as “affected” and “effected” or “affect” and “effect,” but people still aren’t sure when to use each. If you’re having trouble with “affecting” vs. “effecting,” read this article for an explanation.
The Basics of Affecting and Effecting
The confusion of affecting and effecting begins with the fact that affect is the spelling of two different words, both of which have affecting as the present participle, which can be used as a verb or a modifier. Effecting is the present participle of one word, effect, and since effective is more commonly used as a modifier, we can stick with the use as a main verb.
The two words affect are related. They both originally came into Middle English and developed from the Latin word (or a form of the Latin word) afficere, though the first affect came from the Latin form affectus and the second affect came through Middle French prior to entering Middle English. In addition, both have the same pronunciation, leading to affecting being pronounced /uh FEKT ihng/.
Effect also came into English in the Middle English period, and though it is so close to affect in pronunciation and meaning, it comes from a different Latin word, effectus, which means “the doing of a task” or “an achievement.” The –ing form is pronounced /ih FEKT ihng/.
The Meanings of the Present Participles Affecting and Effecting
First, let’s consider the present participle forms used as a main verb.
Affecting formed from the first verb affect can mean:
• acting on in a way that produces a change
• causing a mental or emotional impression
• infecting (as a disease)
Affecting formed from the second verb affect can mean:
• pretending or simulating something
• having, wearing, or displaying
• tending toward naturally
• copying something
The verb effect has one meaning:
• accomplishing or producing an effect
So, nearly every time you use the –ing form of one of these words as the main verb, unless the meaning is “accomplishing or producing an effect,” the choice to make is affecting.
An example of when to use effecting is this sentence:
The manager’s new plan was effecting a remarkable change in morale.
Now let’s consider the present participle forms of affect and effect as modifiers. When thinking about affecting vs. effecting as a modifier, it turns out that effecting is rarely, if ever, properly used in this way. Probably the most common use is affecting meaning “moving” as in:
In an affecting display of loyalty, the exhausted dog continued to stand guard over her wounded owner until help arrived.
If you’re considering using effecting, it is likely that effective would be a better choice.