Please pardon me while I pontificate on some of the grammatical/mechanical/usage nightmares that I encounter on a daily basis. I know this might make me seem like a grammar snob and that there are bigger things in life, but really… it’s the little things that matter sometimes. Refined language will get you places in life, I swear.
TODAY’S LESSONS:
accept/except
To accept something means to receive it… as in “please accept this as a fact, that this is the proper way to use this word.”
“Except” means “excluding.” As in “I remember everything from elementary school except for how to speak my own native language.”
affect/effect
“Affect” is a verb. In other words, it is something that happens – a process. For instance, “All of this grading is affecting my brain function.”
“Effect” is an abstract noun. It’s a thing. A result. As in “The romantic effect created by the candlelight worked well in his favor” or “The inevitable effects of climate change scare the shit out of me.”
to review: If someone is affected by something, the results are the effects.
Something is effective if it affects a person or situation. You can choose to accept any of the scholarships except for the ones that require you not have any other financial aid.
Bah. I see why people who don’t know any better could mess this up. But now you know better, so go forth and use these words correctly! 
Filed under: grammar snob, logophile, teaching
