Doing something effectively versus effectively doing something

There is a difference in meaning in these two uses of the adverb “effectively”.

Let’s take the first type of use. To do something effectively means to do it successfully or efficiently and in a way that achieves an outcome.

In the examples below, the verb comes somewhere before the word “effectively” in the sentence:

• I work more effectively after I’ve had two or three coffees.

• Keeping software updated means that computers function more effectively.

• A team operates more effectively when goals are outlined clearly.

• If resources are in short supply, they need to be managed effectively.

Compare that with the following examples, when “effectively” is used to describe what happens or happened in reality, or what the effect was (even though it wasn’t the intention). Note that the verb now comes after the word “effectively”.

Scenarios:

• The legislation was so weak that the government effectively did nothing to address the problem.

  
  

  Meaning: The government implemented some legislation, but it was weak and the effect was that nothing happened; the situation might even have got worse.

• Eleni lives in a very rural part of England and there are very few buses. She has a car, but it is old. If her car doesn’t start in the morning, it effectively means she can’t get to work.

  
  

  Meaning: If Eleni’s car doesn’t start, she could walk to work but it would take a few hours. The effect is that she doesn’t go to work that day. Let us hope she has a very understanding employer.

  
  

• Salar and his co-authors had submitted a paper to a journal and were now looking at the responses from the reviewers. Most of the feedback was positive, which was a relief. Some of their colleagues had received such extensive feedback that they effectively had to re-write their papers.

  
  

  Meaning: If a paper has received a lot of suggestions for changes from the reviewers, the authors basically have to re-write the paper.

  
  

• Max used to be an auditor, but his manager found that Max had altered the figures in an audit report. Then Max resigned, effectively ending his career in auditing.

  
  

  Meaning: When Max resigned, he was only resigning from his job. However, due to the circumstances, his resignation had the effect of ending his whole career as an auditor because no-one would be able to trust him in the future.

This last example is a little different because it involves a verb and an adjective:

• The village only has one road. When that road is blocked by snow, the village is effectively isolated.

  
  

  Meaning: In normal times, the village isn’t isolated, but snow has the effect of stopping all traffic in and out of the place.

And there it is. A subtle difference perhaps but one that is useful to know: the difference between doing something effectively and effectively doing something (or nothing).

I hope this helps you the next time you want to use the word “effectively” effectively.