affect by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "affect by" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "affected by"? You can use "affected by" when describing how something has an influence or impact on someone or something. Example: "The community was deeply affected by the recent natural disaster."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Who did you affect by your actions, and how?

The New York Times

The second episode, which featured a particularly chilling teenage murderer played to great affect by Robert Emms, had a couple of breathtaking moments.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"The new system will not affect by any measure the freedom of opinion and expression," said Ibrahim, according to MENA, Egypt's state-run news agency.

The Guardian

I recently had access to some cut off areas near Taiz, one of the cities worst affect by fighting in Yemen.

The Guardian

Animals such as polar bears whose habitat revolves around the ice are also affect by the changes.

Independent

90 per cent of those suffering from the condition have type 2 diabetes, which is affect by black tea consumption.

Independent

Yesterday, he wrote to airlines and cruise lines, urging them to issue refunds or credits to families affect by Sandy.

The New York Times

Radio 3 said it was "slow radio" in the style of "slow TV", the Norwegian small-screen phenomenon that was adopted to award-winning affect by BBC4 and will return later this year with a two-hour uninterrupted bus trip across the Yorkshire Dales.

The Guardian

Fig. 7 Average distribution of behavior and affect by half-hour, Genie 3 vs. traditional instruction.

International Journal of STEM Education

Samples were taken from both pristine waters and waters affect by WwTP discharges [16].

Environmental Sciences Europe

The swarming mobility can be affect by many of environment factors.

Bioresources and Bioprocessing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "affected by" instead of "affect by" to correctly indicate that something has been influenced or impacted. This ensures grammatical accuracy and clarity in your writing.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "affect" as a noun and "effect" as a verb. Remember that "affect" is primarily a verb meaning to influence, while "effect" is primarily a noun meaning a result or consequence. Double-check your usage to avoid this common error.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "affect by" is typically intended to function as a passive construction, indicating that something is being influenced or acted upon. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "affected by".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

39%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "affect by" appears frequently in various sources, Ludwig AI correctly identifies it as grammatically incorrect. The proper phrasing is "affected by", which indicates that something has been influenced or impacted. The misuse is prevalent across different registers, from scientific publications to news articles, highlighting a common error in English writing. Always remember to use "affected by" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity. Alternatives such as "influenced by" or "impacted by" can also be used depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

affected by

Corrects the grammatical error in the original phrase.

influenced by

Replaces "affect" with a synonym that clearly indicates impact or influence.

impacted by

Uses "impact" as a verb to convey the effect on something.

shaped by

Suggests a formative influence, altering the original's form or nature.

determined by

Indicates that something is decided or controlled by another factor.

governed by

Implies a rule or principle that controls or influences something.

conditioned by

Highlights how something is brought into a desired state or influenced over time.

modified by

Emphasizes the alteration or adjustment caused by something.

changed by

Simply indicates that something has undergone a transformation due to an external factor.

altered by

Similar to "changed by", but suggests a more subtle or partial transformation.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say something has been influenced?

The correct phrase is "affected by". The word "affect" is a verb, so it needs to be in its past participle form ("affected") when used with a form of "to be". For example: "The community was "affected by" the storm".

Is "affect by" ever correct?

In standard English, "affect by" is generally incorrect. The correct phrasing is "affected by". While you might encounter "affect" used as a noun in psychology, it's not used in the phrase "affect by".

What are some alternatives to "affected by"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "influenced by", "impacted by", or "changed by".

How can I remember the difference between "affect" and "effect"?

A helpful mnemonic is: "A"ffect is a verb (an Action), and "E"ffect is a noun (an End result). While there are exceptions, this rule of thumb can help you choose the correct word in most situations.