Sunday, February 04, 2007 Cariño: Assure, v.t. By Linda Grace Cariño Paradigm Shift
"COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chariman Ben Abalos Sr. assures that all precautions are being taken to ensure peaceful elections in June." "President GMA assures that said elections will take place."
Our news waves are fuuuul of such statements, and if your ears go "kling" with a disturbance in the Force when you hear them without your quite knowing why, let me tell you. It's because the verb "assures" is misused.
Your ears will be more comfortable with "Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos assures THE PUBLIC that all precautions are being taken to ensure peaceful elections in June." Likewise with "President GMA assures US ALL that said elections will take place." It's because the verb ASSURE is a transitive one, i.e., requiring an object. So the disturbance in the Force is righted by providing "assures" with objects.
I know, I know. The Philippines touts itself as proudly English-spokening, and yet our airwaves abound with such gaffes. It's embarrassing. And this happens across all our Filipino television channels.
There's this other word often misused on news broadcasts: INSURES. "The PNP insures the public of its safety during this holiday season" The word you want there is not spelled with an I and pronounced accordingly. The word you want there is spelled with an E and is pronounced accordingly: ENSURES. "The PNP ensures the public of its safety... " is how that ought to go. In this case, there's s difference in meaning between the word spelled with an I versus the one spelled with an E.
I assure you. Check it out to ensure for yourself insurance against grammatical gaffes and usage that ensures you will assuredly not make the cut.
