March 5, 2008
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Ensure
A lot of people are telling me how I should always use ensure, and how they always use it correctly themselves. To which I have to say… I am very skeptical! I have seen “insure” used incorrectly dozens of times on Xanga. I have never seen anyone use ensure correctly on Xanga, ever. And this is someone who is obsessed with the word ensure. So I am skeptical that all of you are as gramatically correct as you claim. I sub to many of you, and have seen far too many they’re/their/there mixups to buy everyone’s infallibility!
However, I will give you a chance to prove me wrong. Use the word ensure correctly in comments or blog posts over the next day, and I may begin to believe. Together, we can take back the word “insure” from the gramatically challenged and ensure that the next generation of youth know that proper grammar is always a priority!
Thank you,
John
Comments (92)
I will ensure that you like my comment by using ensure correctly–not once–but twice in a sentence.
@Mystic_Xingjing - Haha, that was fun.
Ha ha. You’re probably right, but maybe here’s the exception that proves the rule.
http://weblog.xanga.com/esch99/241464295/item.html
One of several times “ensure” is used correctly.
Your positive approach to use correct grammar at all times will ensure wisdom that will last forever! (HAHAHA.)
I should give you my essays to correct… haha… jk
i never use the word. i’ve never written anything that needed the word used some way. i may try it sometime.
Ironically enough, I used the word “insure” incorrectly, but that was a play on the whole insure/ensure confusion.
@esch99 - I don’t sub to you. But with grammar like that, I may have to do a trial sub!
@esch99 - Ooh, that usage of insure is a fatal blow.
You are not subbed to me, but if you were, it would ensure your knowledge that I am a grammar nazi.
ohhhh John…. ensure is a beverage used to increase caloric and/or nutritional intake. Why on EARTH would be be talking about it on xanga?????
And I guess while I am here I should warn you, mom will be home late next week! Perhaps you should get the clean up crew going to ensure she does not come over here and give you a stern scolding!
i used it incorrectly, purposely, in my most recent post, just for you.
ENSURE IS MAGICALLY DELICIOUS
I can ensure you, that I know how to use the word ‘ensure’ in a sentence!
-Heidi
My husband ensured my dog’s safe return.
I wirte a lot of fiction–most of which I don’t post on xanga. But I assure you that I use ensure.
But you’re right–insure and ensure can be interchangable in some situations–there are but nuanced diffrences .
I don’t know of anyone who is as obsessed with the word “ensure” as you.
As for your other post about whom/who. In everyday vernacular it’s fine, IMO, to not distinguish between the two. For me it has just become a habit to use either correctly. Just a quirk..
I ensure you that it is a great idea to insure your car.
Insure: to guarantee against loss or harmEnsure: to secure or guaranteeTroy
No, I’ve always used insure/ensure correctly.
You’re simply an idiot….
who’s run a completely novel and good idea
right into the fucking ground.
Cheers!
the only time i let it slide is if an insurance company is writing the letter and uses “insure” instead of “ensure.”
i ensure you that while that usage is still grammatically incorrect, it’s somewhat understandable.
Their’s alot of persons using the line “I ensure you” to meat your request. You won’t see me doing the same thing. Though too some extent I have done it already by throwing it in the first sentence of my comment. Insured or ensured, doesnt matter. On the internet the masses have gone way beyond the turning point. Bad grammar is here to stay.
(I hope the terrible sentence above doesn’t make your head explode)
Sentences*
HAHAHA! Grammar we probably can save, it’s spelling that’s screwed!
How will the literati using this word properly ensure that the hoi polloi will grasp the spelling and meaning?
The other one is your you’re. In the context of chat I forgive a lot, but when you’re post a blog about your cat, spelling and grammar count.
At first I thought you were talking about Ensure, the supplement
Any update on new usernames?
Have a great day, John!
I don’t know if I have asked you this before, but is there way to make ALL of my post private, or otherwise make it easier for user to select entries and make it private or public more easily, instead of going about 4 years worth entries?
You can ensure you have your grammar correct by checking that everyone else has used the word in the same context. That or everyone is wrong, which would be more funny.
I find people mix up assure and ensure, or affect and effect.
I think you are reading way to into the word ‘ensure!’
Ensure
1. Make certain of; “This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us”; “Preparation will guarantee success!”.
2. Be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; “He verified that the valves were closed”; “See that the curtains are closed”; “control the quality of the product”.
.
Insure
1. Be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; “He verified that the valves were closed”; “See that the curtains are closed”; “control the quality of the product”.
2. Make certain of; “This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us”; “Preparation will guarantee success!”.
Both definitions are the same
???
I wish there were some way to ensure the proper usage of affect and effect!
@beadbrat - dang beadbrat! that was impressive. (but dont tell anyone i said that, i will deny it to my death!)
i use ensure all the time… heres one from an old post - But above it all, my mother taught me how to be selfless, loyal, and caring. While my father would live in luxury, my mother would give up everything to ensure that my brother and I had every single chance to succeed. And she has.
If I do not how to use a word correctly I do not use it.
You usually *do* want to say “ensure” if you’re not in the insurance business. However, this is not really a grammar issue so much as a usage issue. Grammar involves the way sentences are put together. It’s the set of rules that governs how types of words work together. Usage involves, well, using the correct words. Picky, I know, and most people won’t find your use of “grammar” here incorrect.
Also, the ensure/insure difference is so small that’s it is hardly an error either way. Definitely not as shameful as mixing up “there” and “their” or “your” with “you’re.”
Everyone mixes those up in personal communications though. When thinking about content more than form, as we all are (and this is a good thing, no?), the mind is racing ahead of of the rulebooks about written communications, and often even on a second reading by the author, such slight formal errors are overlooked as the bigger picture of the story or argument at large is reviewed. The only way to ensure that you never do it is to have a second person proofread your work.
John! I am shocked that you would doubt my grammatical integrity! *grin* I’m not infallible, but I am highly…neurotic, when it comes to proper grammar. Then again, this is coming from someone who spots spelling errors on restaurant menus. I have a few rants about grammar tucked away, somewhere…maybe I’ll post one. Just for you. *grin*
i thought you were talking about the shake ensure. i was going to comment and say i ensure you that “boost is better!” lol.
Just for you, I used the word in my entry today. I know it would be more impressive if I could point to an old entry where I had already used it correctly, but I can’t think of one.
i will ensure that i never use insure in place of ensure but language evolution is inevitable.
I will ensure you that I will use it wrong as well.
That is a big task you ask of us.
i have this sudden desire to scream when i see ensure now - just like on pee wee’s playhouse for the word of the day.
http://weblog.xanga.com/gwenstylez/645571047/the-spelling-hornet-buzzeth.html
steph843‘s comment is so true.
i wonder what in the world i will write about including the word “ensure.”
@Lithium98 - ha ha ha… so true.
I ensure you that being insured will help protect you from financial disasters.
did you know that yesterday was national grammar day? is that why you keep talking about things like insure/ensure and the use of nauseous? i think your constant blogging on these topics ensures that your subscribers consider you some sort of grammarian/logophile. not that there’s anything wrong with that (i like it!). check this out: http://www.nationalgrammarday.com/
Why is it that everyone is an expert in everyone else’s usage of words?
I thought when I started this it was going to be about the drink supliment ENSURE
My latest blog uses both Insure and Ensure. Happy reading!
Sign this policy and I will ensure that you are insured.
You do realize that the two have interchangeable definitions, right?
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ensure
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ensure
http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/articles/article/992333/8556.htm
In your favor:
http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/UsEnsure.html
I believe that they can be used interchangeably, but I don’t use them like that. I still prefer to use insure and ensure differently. I use ensure when I am talking about assuring someone that something will happen. And I use insure when I refer to an insurance policy, or something related.
I can assure you, you should insure Xanga with the assurance that it will surely be better than Myspace, I can assure you that. Ensured.
That hurt my head.
Can you guys change the name settings?
I mean, I wish if someone deleted their site, say, setmefreeinarocketcar, and I wanted it, I can’t have it because the Xanga team locks that name after it has been used and discarded! Please put some thought into this, John!
Rock on,
Peace out,
Nick
@Aloysius_son -
HEY!!! how can i einsure that Al_son will return MY tigger suit back to me CLEAN?? HUH? Isn’t there a xanga rule einsuring that?? WELL¿¿
Personally i think it is easier to just change the word to einsure!
@beadbrat - try aeffect. it works for me.
Begging John for Xanga True will ensure that I get the badge.
Hey, xanga ate my comment! Is it because I used the word “nazi”, and then alluded to The Scarlet Letter by saying that we should mark those who either cannot or will not write properly with a large crimson “BG” (for Bad Grammar, but we could probably do better, being smartypantses)?
I also made the brilliant request (in my opinion) that we be aided in this task of calling out those with a penchant for word misuse by the addition of more specific minis, specifically one of an angry librarian shaking her finger and exhorting, “You can’t depend on spell check for everything!” or “Buy a dictionary, dumbass!”.
If somehow my other comment comes floating out of the ether, excuse the double. This repetition is only to ensure that you receive my paste-stone gems of wisdom, I assure you.
good point.
ensure is the right way to go.
Umm… I ensure you that my insurance rates will go down when I turn 25.
But I totally know what you mean.
I believe I overthought in trying to respond to your comment and came up with nothing.
Practice ensures better spelling?
ensure.
“old ppl drink ensure.”
ensure.
Ensure is a liquid dietary supplement similar to liquid toast with added colors.
I’m not sure you’re subbed to me, but I don’t want to search thru my subscriber list to ensure that fact. LOL Way to ensure proper language use on Xanga. You have ensured that I will continue reading.
HAHA
@squeakysoul - ur grammar is excellent. double points for proper usage of LOL!
One, I stopped by to let you know that I must use the word ensure properly, and daily, for my work. Technical publishing really shows no mercy. Two, I wanted to give you my two cents about continuing to use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and so on regardless of what you are inundated with each day. Stick to your guns!!! Now that I am here though and have read your skepticism about Xangans ability to use this word and to dare *winks* insinuate that you have Never seen it used correctly in a blog or comment forces me to say “Nay oh great John, nay!”
I am skeptical that you can make such a claim considering that I believe it to be an impossibility for you to have read EVERY entry posted on Xanga. Therefore, you are assuming such to be true. I personally know that I have used the word in my work and now find the task of finding said entry at the top of my “to do” list. Geesh, thanks so much for this new task. lol
I will find it though and send you the link so you will then have to change your Never ever to seldom. Hahahaha
Have a great evening,
SA
@Silver_Alexis - I stand by my claim that I have never personally seen ensure used correctly. However, I don’t meant to claim that it’s never been used correctly on Xanga! I just haven’t seen it
.
That said, I appreciate your support. I shall stick to my guns as you advise, and ensure that I use insure properly. If you could work it into a few posts and comments over the next day, that would help the cause. Thanks!
LOL. You have my support. I found the poem where I used a form of “ensure”, but it should count! If you go and read it, then you can say that you have personally seen it used Once.
http://www.xanga.com/Silver_Alexis/605078409/item.html
I will ensure that I support the cause by leaving every you this assurance that I will not attempt to insure as I follow the path of ensure!
Have a great night John,
SA
Gads!!! And how will you ever take me seriously now after I hit submit without proofing my last comment. Just throw that errant “every” out the window…ok?
*hangs head in lack of proper sentence structure shame and goes”
Do I really have to use the word ensure here? I didn’t know there was a confusion between insure and ensure in the first place because, doesn’t everyone know which means what? I may not be grammatically correct all the time but I do know what terms to use.
I just want to comment on what you said regarding the importance of being grammatically correct and I say that you’re right. But I think there shouldn’t be any confusion at all regarding insure and ensure. Ensure and insure are the same in a sense that both guarantee or assure something but what makes it different is that with the term insure, it assures you of something in case there’s harm or mishaps or whatever…right? So in a sense, ensure is under insure in terms of meaning but insure couldn’t be under ensure because insure is more specific while ensure is uh, a bit general? Right?
Damn, I used to be so sure of this two words. Now, look what you’ve done! LOL. Just tell me if i’m wrong or what, lol
you insure your house in order to ensure your mental piece of mind in the unlikely event that something would happen to it….
Just keep a regular diet. Eat a proper amount of protien, clean carbohydrates and fiber. You’re too young to be using Ensure.
Can you see the “humour” in this?
To ensure that I have used said word correctly, I have checked a dictionary.
I used that word recently lol.
hey I know its a long shot but read my blog and see if maybe you or anyone from the xanga team can make my birthday wish come true.
thanks.
@john - hehe I try. LOL
Are you sure your antagonizers are not talking about the protein drink “Ensure”? My wife drinks it every day.
TAG YOUR IT
Thank you for your comment. Now I’m all scared to leave a comment, afraid that I’ll make a grammatical mistake and get yelled at for it. :X I have to be honest with you, I’ve NEVER used “ensure” in a sentence, because I don’t think I ever felt the need. I have used “insure” and “assure”, as well as “secure”. However, I have given out Ensure (the shake) to elderly patients when I used to work as a receptionist. I hear they’re super-fatty and delicious. :p I’m not even going to try to impress you, my grammar stinks and my spelling skill is slightly better…but not by much. The world should be glad that I’m not a writer; instead, a graphic designer. Ha!
My MIL drinks Ensure every morning….
That is one use of the word that you can count on.
SURE! SURE! SURE!
UNSURE! UNSURE! UNSURE!
your blog has somehow devolved into a 90′s deodorant advertisement. lol.
i don’t really think about how i use “insure” or “ensure,” but i do differentiate between them.
now that you’re making me think about the difference, i might start getting too critical and use them incorrectly!
I have ensured my friends of the final plans for spring break.
Hello, John.
My name’s Michelle.
(:
Why do people show up on my subscribe list that I have deleled. Judi
@jassmine - If you don’t block them, they can always re-subscribe…
oh had not thought of that so subscribers and ones I am subscribed to both show up? Judi
@jassmine - i don’t understand the question? if you block someone, their subscription to you is deleted and they can’t resubscribe to you.
if you’re subscribed to someone, you can delete your subscription without blocking them
.
So who shows up on subscribers both the ones I am subscribed to and the ones subscribed to me? Judi
@jassmine - It’s probably better to move this discussion to the help forums (http://help.xanga.com/forums) or to our help desk (http://help.xanga.com)…
I don’t believe I have ever used insure in place of ensure. My Year 12 English teacher would have skinned me alive if I ever did.
@john - Your help forum never answers. But thanks anyway John. There is so much I enjoy about Xanga that I over look things like never being able to get an answer. Judi
Hi John,
I am Meko in Hong Kong. Nice to meet you.
Please keep using correct grammar….we need more people like you!
Oh and jassmine is correct, the help forum very rarely answers…the only time they have replied is when I had the problem with my payment. They never responded when I had a hacker take over my site nor have they responded with my request to bring back my old site…
Just so you know.
What are we going to with those who tYpe LiKe tHiS?
According to a web dictionary, both spellings of “ensure” / “insure” are accepted interchangeably although ENSURE tends to be the preferred spelling. I hope this ensures a better understanding of why people tend to use ”insure” without thinking twice about it. There are worst sins, you know….like misspelling “weird” or “their” “your… etc. etc.
I use the word “ensure” alot. Not so much in blogging, but at work. So I know that I use it properly. AND it’s in my resume! LOL. I am with you though, bad grammar and bad spelling and just bad “English” drives me nuts. BUT I’m choosing to read their blogs, so I guess I get to smile and deal with it if I want to continue to read them.
Now.. the effect affect rule. I suck at it. I choose to use any words I can think of instead of those two. I will consciously think about what I can say instead b/c I have no idea which one is the correct one to use.
To ensure you understand me, I’ll insure this comment with my reputation as an English professor, better than car or home any day.
i’m pretty certain that grammatically is spelled with two m’s not one. and i’m pretty sure that people mix up other words besides ensure and insure. like affect and effect. or the ever popular “your” and “you’re”
again, though, i can be a grammar nazi. yet, even i -the former english creative-writing major that i am and current MA student- also makes mistakes.
*smiles*