TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Ensure or Make sure? From:Mary Moore 1569 <mmoore -at- CHIPCOM -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 10 Jul 1995 12:46:00 PDT
I recently started working for a company that tends to use "Ensure..." in
their manuals instead of "Make sure..." (For example, "Ensure the
connections are tight" instead of "Make sure the connections are tight.")
I've always heard that "Make sure" is better because it's common English.
However, I have also heard that Latinate words (like ensure) are better for
global audiences because people for whom English is not their first language
will be able to guess the meaning of the word if they encounter it in a
document that is not translated. (Personally I can hear the translation of
"ensure" into the French when I read it, but I know that if I translated
"make sure" word-for-word in French, I wouldn't end up with the right
phrase.)
Obviously, I'll use whatever the department standard is, but I'm just
curious: Do you use "ensure" or "make sure"? Why? "Ensure" sounds stuffy
and old-fashioned to me, but if the trend is towards using it, I would like
to know. You can send replies directly to me and I'll post a summary to the
list.
