Make sure

Make sure

“Make sure” is an expression that means to confirm or to check that things are the way they should be, or that people do what they should do. We’ve all been in situations where something went wrong because somebody—maybe even you—somebody didn’t confirm a detail; somebody didn’t think ahead; somebody didn’t do what they needed to do. Somebody didn’t make sure.

Toward the end of the episode, I’ll show you how to use “make sure” as a reminder to someone else.

Confirm, check or guarantee

Let’s start with the definition of “make sure.” It means to confirm, to check, or to guarantee that something happens or is the way it should be. Making sure often requires us to take some additional action—not much, but something. We have to do a little something extra to guarantee that something happens or is the way we want it to be.

If you’ve ever had to give a presentation in front of a lot of people, you know the value of making sure. If you have to connect your computer to a screen, you should make sure you understand how the projector works. How will you connect it to your computer? Do you have the right cables and connections?

You don’t want to get to the front of the room and only then discover that you can’t hook your computer up. So you want to make sure ahead of time; you want to take those extra little steps to confirm, to check, to guarantee that you can connect your computer.

While you’re at it, you might also make sure that all your other browser windows are closed before you project your screen to a large number of people! Just saying…

What else should you make sure of, if you’re giving a presentation? You want to make sure that you fully understand your material. If someone has a question, you want to be prepared to answer it. Make sure: do the extra things you need to do so that you’re sure you know the material. Confirm, check, study, think about what questions might come up. You’re doing the extra effort to guarantee you’re prepared.

You want to make sure that everyone in the audience can see and hear you. Maybe you should practice ahead of time. Ask a friend to sit in the back of the room and listen to you speak. Can your friend hear you? That’s a great way to make sure everyone will see and hear you during your presentation.

In 2010, Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPhone 4. He was going to demonstrate how easy it was to browse the web from the new iPhone. He pulled up a web page, the iPhone screen projected to the whole room, and…there was no internet connection. Somebody didn’t make sure the internet was strong enough in the room!

A presentation is a big thing. But you can use “make sure” with little things in life, too. When I leave my apartment and close the door, the door locks automatically. This is probably good for safety. But when I leave, I have to make sure I have my keys with me.

What do I do to make sure? Before I close the door behind me, I reach into my pocket and confirm I have my keys. This is an action. It’s not a big one, but it’s an action. This is how I make sure I don’t get locked out.

Imagine you’re planning a big trip, an international vacation, you’re packing your suitcases full with clothes and chargers and everything you need for your trip. Here’s my advice: make sure you don’t exceed the airline’s weight limit in your suitcase. You can make sure by putting your suitcase on your bathroom scale before you leave.

In each of these examples, “making sure” is about being thoughtful, taking the action to confirm or check that things are the way you want them to be.

Make absolutely sure

Sometimes, something is so important you have to make absolutely sure, or you have to make 100 percent sure. Those are two new ways to use “make sure”: “make absolutely sure” and “make one hundred percent sure.” You use this when you can’t afford for anything to go wrong.

If you’re going on an international vacation, there is one thing you need to make absolutely sure of. Can you guess what it is?

You should make absolutely sure that your passport is valid for your entire trip. Make 100 percent sure your visa is valid, if you need one for your trip.

We use those two variations when it’s very important, when you really, really have to be sure: say, “make absolutely sure.”

As a reminder

One last way to use “make sure” is as a reminder to someone else. This is like assigning responsibility to someone. You can use “make sure” to give someone a gentle, friendly reminder to do something that they have to do. When we do this, we put “make sure” in the imperative. We are telling other people to do the necessary things to confirm that something is true or that something happens.

Let’s say you’re on a project at work and you’re supposed to submit updates on your work every Friday. Everybody knows about the requirement. But a good manager might still offer a gentle reminder to the team. The manager might say, “Make sure you submit your updates by Friday.” This is a gentle reminder to do something.

A teacher might say to his students, “Make sure to get the reading done tonight.” A parent might say to her kids, “make sure to brush your teeth before you go to bed.” This is a way of giving someone a gentle reminder.

So now you’re ready to use “make sure” correctly! Remember, to “make sure” is to confirm or check that things are the way they should be. It usually requires taking some kind of action. And you can also use it as a request or a reminder to someone else. And if something really needs to be done, you can say, “make absolutely sure.”