From an ad for financial services:
"Lock in your appointment now to insure these special rates"
The word "insure" is usually used to refer to insurance:
I would like to insure my car, please.
When you're saying that you want to be sure about something, you use "ensure":
Please ensure you lock the door before you leave.
Now, if you use "ensure" instead of "insure" in the criminal sentence, it still sounds odd, so let's improve it:
Lock in your appointment now to ensure you receive these special rates.
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2 comments:
I regularly see these two words used interchangeably (except when "insure" is relating directly to "insurance"). I was taught as you described in this post. Is it possible that the rules have changed since I was in high school (1990)? Even dictionary.com states that they are interchangeable. Has it always been this way? Thanks.
Hi, Anonymous. I don't think the rules have changed. You're right, though, that some sources consider these words interchangeable. I, however, prefer "insure" for insurance only. I guess it's not wrong to say, "Please insure that you wear your seatbelt," but to me, "ensure" works so much better there.
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