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Funny you should ask! One of the most heartening experiences I
ever had as a writer was a debate I got into with a group of foremen. As
part of their responsibilities, I had written that they had to "make sure"
procedures were done in a certain way.
They found the wording too direct. Because they were not permitted
to remain onsite for the entire activity, they wanted me to write
"ensure," which sounded like it demanded less accountability.
To hell with the deconstructionists--words *matter*!
Mary
PS--I understood their point, and changed "make sure" to "ensure."
Mary Durlak Erie Documentation Inc.
East Aurora, New York (near Buffalo)
durl -at- buffnet -dot- net
