Comments on: Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:50:21 +0000

I understand what you are trying to do with your sentence, Bryan. Unfortunately, insuring your car does not necessarily ensure your safety. It does help ensure that costs for damages to property and persons are covered.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:09:44 +0000

I assure you that I will insure my car in order to help ensure my safety.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:43:11 +0000

Ya know, I kinda doubt you’ll be accused of being a strict constructionist! Seriously, we’re glad that you and many of our weekly E-Newsletter readers and blog writers join us in finding grammar fun. We do enjoy fine distinctions and that’s why the blog titled, “Assure vs Ensure vs Insure” makes distinctions between these words (even though the distinctions are not always quite so clearly defined). And, indeed, it is not only fun but good grammar to know the lie/lay rules (see the chart on p. 3 of Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words) which have not changed through modern usage.

By: susan klee

susan klee — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:07:02 +0000

OK, OK maybe modern usage demands that these words are interchangeable . . .
I don’t like to be a “strict constructionist” (heaven forfend)! But ya know; It’s kinda *fun* to be able to make fine distinctions, to differentiate among close synonyms, to use the tens of thousands of words in English differently, whenever you can.
I hate to see some of these distinctions lost, simply because we then lose the interest of using them literally for the fun of it. I feel the same way about lie/lay/lain . . . It’s fun to know the difference between lie/lay/lain and lay/laid/laid. Isn’t it??

By: Jay Tittman

Jay Tittman — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:11:22 +0000

Language changes over time. I confirm what Josh said a few years ago about the use of “insure” in the preamble to the Constitution. I’m up to number 35 in reading The Federalist papers and have already found Hamilton using “insure” (and not once using “ensure”) at least a half-dozen times already, in places where current usage would dictate “ensure”.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:53:57 +0000

Our definition of ensure is reasonably similar to every dictionary definition available: to make sure or certain. But, examined closely, you're right that there is very little that we can say with certainty about the future. Ensure is perhaps our best human effort to predict a safe future. I do like your two sentences where you use all three words: ensure, assure(s), and insure (insurance).

By: James

James — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:53:21 +0000

I like your definitions because they are simple and clear.

However the definition of ‘ensure’ – to make sure something will/won’t happen – seems a little restrictive as your example demonstrates. Installing a smoke alarm does not ensure the safety of your family even though the person fitting it assures you that it will. This is why we have insurance.

I think we can ensure that something is the case but we can say very little about what will happen in the future.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:15:34 +0000

Thanks.

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:57:30 +0000

I was just writing a letter and wondering if insure and ensure could be different but the same, good reference…

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:31:14 +0000

I am glad you found the information helpful.