[ insure ] or [ ensure ] or [ assure ]

1️⃣ ✅ ensure: to make sure that something will happen [ event or condition ] / make certain that something will occur

2️⃣ ✅ assure: to remove doubt or fear from [ a person ] / to convince or give confidence to someone

3️⃣ ✅ insure: protect against loss, damage, or injury / provide or obtain insurance on / to provide financial protection against loss.


For example:
🔸 Before the trip, I wanted to assure my family of my safety, ensure all preparations were complete, and insure my belongings against loss.

🔸 The manager assured the team of their capabilities, ensured all resources were in place, and insured the equipment against damage.

1- ensure: Emma set her alarm for 6 a.m., ensuring she wouldn’t sleep in.

2- assure: I assure you that I’ll be on my best behavior.

3- insure: If you don’t insure your car, you can’t drive it!


https://www.tgoop.com/English_Skills_Plus

#Unit-33 Should 1

The last poll we posted was as follows:

She acts as if she ________ everything.
A- knows
B- knew
C- both 'A' and 'B'

How can we decide which is the correct answer? 🤔

🔸 The phrase "as if she ______ everything" is a subordinate clause that is a part of bigger sentence "She acts......" . This subordinate clause depends on the main clause ["She acts"] to make sense.


🔸 The expression "as if" introduces a condition that is hypothetical (unreal). It often triggers the use of the subjunctive mood, which deals with wishes, or conditions contrary to reality or fact.

🔸 The subjunctive mood in such contexts is usually formed using the past tense for, of the verb, even when the main verb is in the present tense.
👉 "He talks as if he were a king."
"He talks" = indicative mood (reality)
"he were a king" = subjunctive mood (not real / contrary to fact)


Back to our example:
A- "knows" [ indicative mood - closer to fact ]
She acts as someone who actually knows everything.

B- "knew" [ subjunctive mood - contrary to fact ]
She imagines / thinks she knows everything.

Grammatically, "knew" is more appropriate after "as if" but, in everyday English, the indicative mood is commonly used.

🔸 People often say things like: "He acts as if he owns the place."
🤔 Since he doesn't actually own the place, it should be subjunctive mood verb [owned], but the common use after "as if" nowadays is the indicative mood verb [owns], especially for real-world comparisons.


Thus, both 'A' and 'B' are correct here. There is a slight grammatical difference between the two in terms of their formality.

A- knows ✅
B- knew ✅

Kudos to those who chose "C- both 'A' and 'B'".


https://www.tgoop.com/English_Skills_Plus

#Unit-33 Exercises || Answered

#Unit-34 Should 2

#Unit-34 Exercises || Answered

The following sentence has lexical ambiguity i.e. it makes us think of two different meanings:

The bank was crowded with people.


Can you tell what different meanings the sentence conveys? Comment with your answer below.

#Unit-35 I'd better... It's time...