Reading & WritingCraft and StructureHigh frequency
SAT Reading & Writing: Commonly Confused Words (Affect/Effect, Than/Then)
42+ practice questions in Praczo
What you need to know
The concept, explained
- 1
Affect is a verb (to influence: "It affects me"). Effect is a noun (the result: "The effect was massive").
- 2
Then is used for time or sequence ("We ate, then ran"). Than is used for comparisons ("Bigger than a house").
- 3
Its is possessive ("The dog bit its tail"). It's is a contraction for "it is" ("It's raining").
- 4
There (location), Their (possessive), They're (they are).
Common mistakes
- ✗ Choosing "it's" when possession is intended because apostrophes usually mean possession for normal nouns.
- ✗ Confusing the verb affect with the noun effect.
Try a sample question
SAT-style practice
The new tax policy had a severe _____ on the local economy.
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