Which word form is a noun: effect or affect?

• A. Effect is a verb
• B. Affect is a noun
• C. Effect is a noun
• D. Both are nouns

Answer: (C)

Distinguishing noun versus verb use for effect and affect helps you see how each word functions in a sentence. Effect is used as a noun to mean the result or outcome of something. For example, "The effect of the new policy was immediate" shows effect as the thing that results. While effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about, that usage is far less common in everyday writing and sounds formal or specialized (to effect change).

Affect, on the other hand, is most often a verb meaning to influence or change something, as in "How will this affect the schedule?" In general usage, you wouldn’t treat affect as a noun unless you’re in a specific field where affect refers to emotion or demeanor (a rare, technical sense).

So the form that is normally a noun is effect.