affected
v. B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈfɛktɪd// UK //ɐfˈɛktɪd// af·fect·ed
v. to cause a change in someone or something. You use this when one thing has an impact on another, like how the weather changes your mood.
v. to produce an effect upon; to influence or alter the state of something. Transitive — requires a direct object.
The cold weather affected the plants in the garden.
The new government policy will likely affect thousands of small businesses across the country next year.
Economists are still debating how the sudden shift in interest rates affected consumer spending patterns during the final quarter of the fiscal year.
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
Pitfall
the bad weather had a negative affectthe bad weather had a negative effectLearners often confuse the verb 'affect' with the noun 'effect'.