Nick's Guide to Great Writing! |
| This material is on nuances, and shades of gray. While it is included in the writing section of my homepage, it is useful for speakers and general students of English, both native and non-native learners of English vocabulary. |
This page ©2001 by nicholasemiller |
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| Main topic: | Sub-topic: | Other notes on
class or type: | Level of difficulty
1 elementary
5 intermediate
9 advanced |
| assure, ensure, insure | ...
| . | 3 - 7 |
| Explanation, discussion and example(s): |
Assure, ensure and insure all mean to make certain, guarantee something or make a thing or person sure. They are interchangeable in many contexts, but, there are shades of meaning that are harder to explain. Please study the following for exact meanings and examples:
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Assure (Noun: assurance)
to make safe from risk; to give confidence to something or someone; to make sure or certain, to convince; to inform positively about something; to promise the arrival or realization of something, to guarantee. It has the connotation of removing doubt and suspense from a person's mind.
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The postal clerk assured me that the package would arrive in time for my girlfriend's birthday. |
The con man assured his mark that the goods were not stolen; but, he had lied! |
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You can rest assured that the need for English and computer skills will grow in the next decade. |
After being caught cheating on his wife, lying, embezzling public funds, taking bribes, and giving political favors to hundreds of his friends, the politician gave his assurance that he would not do it again if the people voted for him one more time. |
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Ensure
to make sure, certain, or safe; guarantee; make safe from harm.
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The United States wants to have the largest nuclear arsenal AND the only Star Wars defense system, to ensure that it remains the sole super power for all eternity. |
There are few ways to ensure you do not get AIDS - abstinence, one AIDS-free partner only, or safe-sex practices. |
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There is no way to ensure that anyone will be safe from cancer. |
Principal to teacher: "Please ensure that all of the students are ready for the play." |
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Insure (Noun: insurance)
to provide or obtain insurance on or for; to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions; to contract to give or take insurance; guaranteeing the value of a person or item at risk. It sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.
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I would like to insure this box for $200. |
It is a good idea to have car, health, life and property insurance. |
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As insurance that a person will repay a loan, a bank often asks for collateral. |
The hijacker took hostages to insure his safe escape. |
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