Books by mignon fogarty author of grammar girls quick. What you ensure results from your personal efforts. There are some newspapers and magazines, such as the new york times and the new yorker, that still use insure in both instances, but its fairly archaic to do so. For example, some people might say we hired a caterer to insure an excellent meal, but ensure is the more common usage. Only people can feel anxious or doubtful only they can be assured. Mignon fogarty is the host of grammar girl and founder of quick and dirty tips.
These blankets ensure that youll be warm enough to insure is to cover with an insurance policy what you insure you entrust to a business. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. When you get down to it though, there is an easy way of separating the two. Senator warren doesnt need to change her ideas and wellplanned programs. Therefore, ensure the tradition of excellence is a better choice. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing impressed me because its a book that you can read and enjoy. Mignon is the author of the new york times bestseller grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing and six other books on writing.
English grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. Learn the rules, and the quirks, of english grammar from parts of speech to punctuation. Assure is also somewhat formal, and, therefore, it doesnt often appear in casual conversations. Assure, ensure, and insure have the same underlying meaning, but they each have a slightly different use.
The three words, assure, ensure, and insure, are often confused. Oct 06, 2016 further versus farther the quick and dirty tip is to use farther for physical distance and further for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. You assure a person that things will go right by making him confident. However, rather than using these words interchangeably, id like to point out the unique aspects of each word so that you can use them to. A while usually follows the preposition for or in, whereas if you cannot put for a while into a sentence, you need to use a while. Assure refers to the act of removing insecurities by guaranteeing that something will happen. Ensure and ensure plus are often used in diets to gain or maintain a healthy weight. Whether english is your first language or second language, grammar girl s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. As an editor, mrp will continue to differentiate between ensure and insure as i. So many people refer to themselves as i in the reflexive. Both assure and ensure mean to make something certain but assure also means to tell someone in a very strong and definite way that something will happen or that something is true. Compare it versus grammar difference between assure vs ensure. To ensure is to do or have what is necessary for success. You can also find guidance and ideas on academic writing, composition, style, editing, etc.
I would be most grateful if you could tell me the difference between assurance and insurance. All three words are derived from the latin word securus, meaning secure, and they have some similarities in their definitions. In accordance with definition of in accordance with by. In both the us and the uk, assure means to set someones mind at rest, though its sometimes used in the uk to mean underwrite financial loss. It is possible to use the spelling of insure, ensure, and assure to distinguish the three words from one another. Many scholars maintain there is no such word as irregardless because regardless already means without regard. Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. However, these terms should not be used interchangeably. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. Providing a space to do homework and monitor homework, write a note to the teacher if confused about homework, and provide consequences if homework is not completed. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. While inquire is also often used in the same sense as enquire in british english, it doesnt usually go the other way around enquire is rarely used for an official investigation or query. Im weighing the pros and cons of the whiteandgold dress versus the blueandblack dress.
Ensure refers to the act of making something certain. Apr, 2009 grammar rules exist so that we dont sound like complete idiots when we write. Any grammar check that does an english syntax check is a winner. In a sentence, assure will generally precede the object that you are assuring, as in, the mother assured her daughter that the loud thunderstorm would not hurt her. Never use assure in the sense of assure that the wording is correct.
Theres a large overlap between insure and ensure when it comes to their definitions, and many people find it hard to differentiate the two. A person who does tidying jobs for thomas more might be a more clearer. With descriptive speech and clear writing you can entertain, persuade, inform and educate. All three verbsassure, ensure, and insure have their roots in a latin word for safe or secure. Its easy to remember because farther has the word far in it, and far obviously relates to physical distance. Traditionally, enquire simply meant ask, while inquire was used for formal investigations. As of january 2020, english now includes more than one million wordsa figure that differs from words accepted in dictionaries, which can range from 170,000 to 470,000 depending on the source.
There are many homophones in english that are easily confused, especially in writing. There are a few generally accepted ways to write these abbreviations in. Assure, ensure, insure assurance, insurance betty choy from hong kong writes. I am currently reading grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing by mignon fogarty. We ensured the success of the plan after we assured the chairman that the property would be insured. Grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students is a complete and comprehensive guide to all things grammar from grammar girl, a. The rules are broken down into different categories that make the site truly userfriendly. Sample text for grammar girls quick and dirty tips for. Mignon fogarty, whose popular podcasts have been downloaded over twenty million times and whose first book, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing, was a new york times bestseller. Some sources note that people use assure, ensure, and insure interchangeably. Jan 01, 2008 to the delight of word nerds everywhere, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing came out yesterday. If a that clause follows the verb, you must use ensure. Passed past tense and past participial form of the verb to pass.
The nationals have inquired with the blue jays about outfielder jose bautistas availability, according to the post. In the uk, the two words are used interchangeably, although inquire is still the more commonly used word for formal or official investigations in the united states, inquire is the strongly preferred spelling in all uses. Only things that are alive can be assured both alive and assure start with an a. Mignon fogarty, grammar girl, wrote a nyt bestseller, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. The first and most common way to write them is with lowercase a. A subreddit for questions and discussions about grammar, language, style, conventions, and punctuation. These two abbreviations stand for the latin terms ante meridiem and post meridiem, which literally mean before noon and after noon. This way requires periods, and both chicago style and ap style recommend this way of writing the abbreviations. Mignon fogarty is the creator and host of grammar girl. Mignon fogarty has 14 books on goodreads with 12479 ratings. All three words share an element of making an outcome sure. The three verbs are very much related to each other as all three of them deal with guaranteeing on thing or another. Generally speaking, you ensure that something will happen, and you insure something when you guarantee it against some kind of loss or harm however, as usual, its not that simple. However, you can easily avoid confusion by remembering their distinct uses.
Oct 21, 20 assure is a transitive verb, so it requires an objectand a personal object, at that. The verb ensure licenses a few types of complements. Its my job to ensure that you dont misuse terms like these. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing is an educational podcast produced by mignon fogarty that was launched in july 2006 and the title of a print book by fogarty that was released in july 2008. Five grammatical errors that make you look dumb copyblogger. This page is a grammar lesson on verbs, the type of verbs, and verb terminology.
The words assure, ensure, and insure are among the common terms that are often misused and interchanged. When you want to say that something makes something else certain, use either assure or ensure leaving early will assureensure a prompt arrival. Effect is a noun, as in the effect of a parents low income on a childs future is well documented. Get grammar girls take on assure versus ensure versus insure. Even though my show is called grammar girl, the secret is that its not usually grammar that confounds peopleits usage. The journalist nelly bly said, the more i endeavored to assure them of my sanity, the more they doubted it. Historically, the words insure and ensure have been used interchangeably, and you can throw assure into that crazy mix as well. This term has come to mean protecting something in a monetary sense, against damage or theft. Assurei mean, ensuregood writing by mark nichol once upon a time, professional and amateur writers alike could count on books and publications to help guide them in. Assurance is the guarantee that something will happen however insurance is the policy that covers up any losses. The word assure is used as a verb, and it is used in the sense of promise or tell someone something positively to dispel any doubts.
Whomever is an object pronoun and works like the pronouns him, her, and them give the document to whomever in the department. Some words in the english language are so overused that we dont notice that they are incorrect or dont even exist. Assure vs ensure the english language can be very confusing if one is learning it as a foreign language. Homonyms are sometimes confusing words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. However, rather than using these words interchangeably, id like to point out the unique aspects of each word so that you can use them to communicate your intention clearly.
Nov 26, 2007 the three words, assure, ensure, and insure, are often confused. To the delight of word nerds everywhere, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing came out yesterday. Assure is something that you tell to another person, something that can feel doubt or uncertainty. In general, to assure is to lend confidence, to ensure is to confirm, and to insure is to indemnify as with an insurance policy and insure may have legal implications. Grammarly helps every writer of every skill level to write better. You can have a poor command of english, yet grammarly effortlessly helps you create beautifully written pieces. Confusing words and homonyms misused words in english. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing book. The only difference with british english is that assure can be used instead of insure, particularly in the context of life insurance or assurance. Assure is used to speak out a promise or say something with confidence i assure you that he is a great lawyer. This may be attributed to how all three words can be associated with the sureness of an outcome. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing by.
Ensure is to make certain that something will happen. See more ideas about grammar, learn english and english grammar. It looks to me like most people lean toward american grammar, and i have to admit im a little biased toward it myselfi have noticed that and which used interchangeably in print publications particularly in a novel im reading right now, which inspired this post, and i always wonder if the writer or editor might be british. By day she is immortal, by night when her tattoos peel from her skin and become her boys she becomes mortal.
I will outline the correct word and explain how it should be used in the proper context. Assure versus ensure versus insure english words, latin words. Grammar girls expertise is also available in a fulllength book, which is available in paperback and e book. I get complaints from purists, but usage girl doesnt have the same ring to it as grammar girl, and my books and podcasts arent for purists anywaytheyre for people who actually need help. However, thats not to say that all grammar rules are written in stone. Assist the child in setting up a homework center, call the school to get homework when it is forgotten, and assure homework is completed correctly. Mignon fogartys most popular book is grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing.
Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In accordance with definition is in a way that agrees with or follows something, such as a rule or request. I found this tip on grammar girls website in a post called assure versus ensure versus insure. New york times bestselling author mignon fogarty shares her weekly grammar girl podcast and video tips about english, grammar, and writing. The grammarly handbook is a virtual grammar handbook that describes various grammatical rules and offers examples of correct and incorrect use. By thinking in terms of the effect, you can usually sort out which is which, because you cant stick a the in. Whoever is a subject pronoun and works like the pronouns he, she, and they whoever wrote this poem should win a prize. The version on the right with the red stripe on top is used when the country is at war. Find the answers to our grammar, vocabulary and spelling activities on the blog in this english activities answer key. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to real. To insure something or someone is to cover it with an insurance policy. Grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for. See more ideas about english writing, learn english and english vocabulary.
Even better, the american heritage dictionarys definition of ensure is. Maybe its because of its diminutive size, but the apostrophe tends to be neglected and misused in equal measure. In american english, to assure is purely to intend to give the listener confidence, to ensure is to make certain of, and to insure is to purchase insurance. Ensure, insure, and assure are three of the most commonly confused verbs in the english language. Passed and past is a very commonly confused pair, but once you know the difference between passed and past, you wont make that mistake again. What is the difference between anyplace and any place. The noun of assure is assurance and the adjective of assure is assured. Both types of shakes provide adequate nutrition to support normal body growth, development and maintenance. They are her friends, her family, and the only demons she loves. On its path from latin through french and into english, securus became simplified and took on a variety of prefixes, thus leading to the confusingly similar english verbs assure, ensure, and insure. Infinitives are formed when a verb is preceded by the word to, as in to run or to ask. Also derived from securus are the english words sure, assure, secure, and security.
Insure is the easiest to remember, because it has the same initial letters as insurance. Each of these words has some meanings which are peculiar to it, some which are not entirely discrete from the others, and some which overlap almost entirely. On the other hand, the word ensure is also used as a verb, and it is used in the sense of make sure. There are a few generally accepted ways to write these abbreviations in your writing. Aug, 2007 as the american heritage book of english usage explains, although ensure and insure are generally interchangeable, only insure is now widely used in american english in the commercial sense of to guarantee persons or property against risk. A verb can express a physical action jump, a mental action guess, or a state of being exist.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ensure is used to make something certain please ensure that you. Relative clausesthe sort of clause you use, which is blue that is blue, which tells us something more about the noun referred to by which or thatare of two sorts. Mignon fogarty is the founder of the quick and dirty tips network and creator of grammar girl, which has been named one of writers digests 101 best websites for writers multiple times. Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation mistakes.
Help support the grammarphobia blog with your donation. The act of assuring is the act of dispelling doubts. But elizabeth warrens recent fall in poll numbers and weak results in primaries are directly tied to the message she is communicating. In american english, insure is occasionally used instead of ensure. Klems is the editor of this blog, online editor of writers digest and author of the popular gift bookoh boy, youre having a girl.
One of the earliestknown english dictionaries, the elementarie 1582, contained 8,000 words. The short answer is insure is limited to the financial product we buy to limit our liability. The question really ought to be whether to say clearer or more clearly. There are many words that sound the same or even look the same, but these words are used in entirely different contexts as they have entirely different meanings. Mar 05, 2007 affect is a verb, as in your ability to communicate clearly will affect your income immensely. Insure makes the distinction that the definition of ensure is to make sure something will or wont happen, whereas insure means to issue an insurance policy. We need to ensure that we have enough food for the party. The grammar girl podcast has also won best education podcast multiple times in the podcast awards, and mignon is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame. A while is a noun phrase consisting of a and while, whereas awhile is an adverb meaning for a while. The shakes are often recommended for people who are malnourished, at nutritional risk. When the meaning is to make certain, wd sticks with ensure. To ensure something is to make sure it happensto guarantee it. Assure, ensure, and insure are three words people sometimes confuse. While ensure and insure arent quite so clear cut, assure is very different from both.
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