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Modern English does not really have a satisfactory distinction between
"insure" and "ensure."
Insurance companies "insure," but they do not have a cornered market on the
practice. Insurance companies ensure payment on claims made by their
insured clients to assure that injured parties are compensated.
If a law firm will suffer financial liability for not complying with the
IRS, then they are probably in the position of being an insurer. There is
some implication of financial liability with the word "insure" that is not
inferred from the word "ensure." So there may be a reason for choosing
"insure" that is more likely to elicit compliance than "ensure" would.
Lauren
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lauren=writeco -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lauren=writeco -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> ] On Behalf Of Rob Hudson
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 12:02 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: the old insure ensure assure
>
> From a law firm's email signature:
>
> "To insure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Internal
> Revenue Service ..."
>
> Shouldn't it be "ensure"?
>
>
>
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