Whose name vs. who’s name?

Use whose to show that something belongs to a person or thing, for example, “The tortoise, whose legs were short, could never keep up with the hare.” In this sentence, whose shows that the legs belong to the tortoise.

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What is the affect vs effect trick (to remember the difference)?

Affect and effect are related words, but they are most commonly used as different parts of speech.

You can remember the difference between affect (verb meaning “change”) and effect (noun meaning “outcome”) using the following mnemonic.

  • “Affect” and “action” both begin with “a”
  • “Effect” and “end result” both begin with “e”

When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!

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Is it something to that effect or affect?

The correct version is “something to that effect.” In this instance, “effect” is part of an expression and can’t be replaced without changing the meaning of the expression.

However, in other instances, you can determine whether you should use affect or effect by replacing “effect” with a similar noun (such as “outcome”).

  • If the sentence still makes sense, “effect” is correct.
  • If it doesn’t, you probably mean “affect.”

When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!

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Is it side effect or affect?

The correct version is “side effect.” In this instance, “effect” is part of a compound noun and cannot be replaced with another word.

However, in other instances, you can determine whether you should use affect or effect by replacing “effect” with a similar noun (such as “outcome”).

  • If the sentence still makes sense, “effect” is correct.
  • If it doesn’t, you probably mean “affect.”

When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!

Continue reading: Is it side effect or affect?