Have you ever seen a phrase like the following?
“The changes will have an impact on the year-end results.”
I was in a meeting recently, and we were discussing the wording of a document. A similar phrasing as this one appeared, and I proposed rewording it to what would be something like:
“The changes will impact the year-end results.”
Another committee member seemed appalled at this wording, insisting that we should use affect instead of impact because impact is a noun, not a verb.
This is a popular argument that I’ve heard many times from self-proclaimed grammar pedants. Except it’s wrong.
English speakers have been using impact as a verb for centuries. In fact, it was used as a verb for 200 years before it was used as a noun. Consider the following quote
Cold things must bee applped (sic) in the beginning to hinder the confirming of the griefe, but the vse of them after the beginning, impacteth the matter and encreaseth the payne.
William Clowes, A Prooued Practise for all Young Chirurgians, 1588
1588. We’ve been using impact as a verb for over 400 years!
So, where did the rule come from? Well, Merriam-Webster thinks it has something to do with impact’s evolution from a word with literal meaning (The sword impacted my shield.) to one that included a figurative meaning (as my above example):
One possibility is that the figurative use is what rubbed people the wrong way. Impact began to be used figuratively as a noun (referring to “effect,” rather than “collision”) in the early 19th century. In the early 20th century the verb followed down the figurative path, and when used in an intransitive manner (“to have an impact”) people began to complain about it.
In the late 20th century the figurative uses of impact increased considerably, which likely contributed to the feeling that use of the word as a verb was a recent development.
So, the next time someone tries to use this rule on you, just tell them you’re just following a usage that’s been around for more than 4 centuries.
Unless it’s your editor. Then use your inside voice.
