affected a decision

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "affected a decision" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct expression would typically be "affected the decision" or "influenced a decision." Example: "The new evidence significantly affected the decision made by the committee."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

And 75percentt of online patients with a chronic problem told the researchers that "their last health search affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition," according to a Pew Report released last month, "The Engaged E-Patient Population".

The New York Times - Health

The appeals court also dismissed convictions for making false statements to the government about the trades, finding that any falsehoods would not have affected a decision by the Treasury Department overseeing sales of mortgage-backed securities as part of the bank bailout.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

If so, is it likely to affect a decision about guilt or punishment?

The New York Times

It could affect a decision by the Federal Reserve, which is eyeing a potential interest rate increase this year.

The New York Times

An explanation for the results is that a person's insurance coverage tends not to affect a decision about calling an ambulance in a real emergency.

The New York Times

But he fails to spell out what Facebook's current policy is and how it would affect a decision to conduct a similar experiment today.

The Economist

As written, some GDPR rules apply only to systems that are fully automated, which could exclude situations in which an algorithm affects a decision but a human is supposed to make the final call.

Nature

Amendment processes vary widely in their difficulty and complexity, and this will be a factor that affects a decision to seek to change the terms.

University of Chicago

Officials with the PGA of America said if a club is found to discriminate, it could affect a decision whether to hold a PGA Championship there.

Los Angeles Times

German stock market law requires publicly traded companies to alert investors as soon as they have unforeseen developments that could affect a decision to buy or sell the stock.

Los Angeles Times

We have revealed one potential neural mechanism by which a policy change can affect a decision process.

eLife

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "influenced a decision", "affected the decision" or "impacted a decision" for grammatical correctness. Ensure the verb choice aligns with the intended nuance of impact.

Common error

Avoid using "affected a decision" as it is grammatically incorrect. Instead, use "affected the decision" or "influenced a decision" to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "affected a decision" functions as a verb phrase attempting to describe the action of influencing a choice. However, as Ludwig indicates, the phrase is not grammatically correct in standard English usage. A proper construction would require "affected the decision" or a different verb altogether.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "affected a decision" aims to convey influence on a choice, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI indicates, the correct forms are "affected the decision" or alternatives like "influenced a decision" or "impacted a decision". Although examples appear in diverse sources like news, science, and academia, its limited frequency and grammatical issues suggest avoiding this phrasing in formal writing. Opt for grammatically sound alternatives to clearly and effectively express your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

influenced a decision

Uses the verb 'influenced' instead of 'affected', providing a grammatically standard alternative.

impacted a decision

Replaces 'affected' with 'impacted', offering another grammatically correct option.

had an effect on a decision

Restructures the phrase to use 'had an effect on', making it grammatically sound.

played a role in the decision

Emphasizes the contribution to the decision-making process.

was a factor in the decision

Highlights the phrase as one of several elements influencing the decision.

weighed on the decision

Suggests a more emotional or significant influence on the decision.

contributed to the decision

Focuses on the additive nature of the influence.

shaped the decision

Indicates a formative influence on the final decision.

governed the decision

Implies a controlling or guiding influence.

dictated the decision

Suggests a strong and decisive influence, almost determining the outcome.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something had an impact on a decision?

The grammatically correct options include "affected the decision", "influenced the decision", or "impacted the decision". The phrase "affected a decision" is not standard English.

Is "affected a decision" grammatically correct?

No, "affected a decision" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is either "affected the decision" or using a different verb like "influenced a decision".

How can I rephrase "affected a decision" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, use "influenced the decision", "had an impact on the decision", or "played a role in the decision". These alternatives provide a more sophisticated expression.

What's the difference between "affected a decision" and "affected the decision"?

"Affected a decision" is grammatically incorrect, while "affected the decision" is correct. The definite article "the" specifies which decision is being referenced, making the sentence grammatically sound.