Yes, thanks, I explain that to my students. I've usually got no problem with verbing a noun ... so, I explain to them, I'll assume that's what they're doing. But, I also explain, the unintended connotations of this particular one are especially disagreeable to, at least, their teacher.
The issue at hand is that the noun impact, as in "Have an impact" is being used as a verb, with impacted as the past tense. This is getting confused with impacted, the adjective, as in impacted bowel.
A personal peeve: this word is an adjective meaning "wedged or packed in together" ... It calls to mind unpleasant business related to teeth and bowels ... For that reason, it shouldn't be used as a verb in statements like: "Voters in South Carolina will definitely be impacted by what happened at the Iowa caucuses Thursday." source
My heart goes out to those soon-to-be-miserable South Carolinians.
Yes, thanks, I explain that to my students. I've usually got no problem with verbing a noun ... so, I explain to them, I'll assume that's what they're doing. But, I also explain, the unintended connotations of this particular one are especially disagreeable to, at least, their teacher.
The issue at hand is that the noun impact, as in "Have an impact" is being used as a verb, with impacted as the past tense. This is getting confused with impacted, the adjective, as in impacted bowel.
Hear! Hear! (note: not 'Here! Here!')
A personal peeve: this word is an adjective meaning "wedged or packed in together" ... It calls to mind unpleasant business related to teeth and bowels ... For that reason, it shouldn't be used as a verb in statements like: "Voters in South Carolina will definitely be impacted by what happened at the Iowa caucuses Thursday." source
My heart goes out to those soon-to-be-miserable South Carolinians.