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> I am having a debate with a client over usage. I've looked in all the
> reference sources, but I'd appreciate the options of experienced
> writers. In the following sentences, which use of ensure/assure is
> correct?
Kirk:
This recently came up on another list... I'll repeat what I said
there:
At least two dictionaries of American English allow "insure" to be
used
as a synonym for "ensure", but the Associated Press Style Guide
doesn't.
AP says that "ensure" means to guarantee or make certain, while
"insure"
is what insurance companies do. "Assure", from which both words
derive,
means to state positively so as to remove doubt... E.g., "I assure
you,
I'll ensure that the car is insured before I drive it."
> 1. The information presented also ensures that the project will be
> delivered on time and within budget with a quality level that meets
the
> requirements for the most efficient use and management of the project
>
> 2. The information presented also assures that the project will be
> delivered on time and within budget with a quality level that meets
the
> requirements for the most efficient use and management of the project.
"Ensure" is the appropriate verb for that sentence, although it's
probably not the information itself that ensures success, but HAVING
the information.
Fortunately, no one will read that sentence carefully enough to care
about subtleties... In fact, if the rest of the document is written
the same way, you could probably get away with "The information
presented also ensures that the project will be delivered on time
and within OH MY GOD MARTIANS ATE MY CAT! budget with a quality
level that meets the requirements for the most efficient use and
management of the project."
> Is there a way to avoid the use of assure/ensure/insure?
Yeah, a thesaurus might suggest "guarantee".
-Andrew
=== Andrew Warren - awarren -at- synaptics -dot- com
=== Synaptics, Inc - Santa Clara, CA
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