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I am a middle-aged native British English speaker. Throughout most of my life, in the UK the phrase "Make sure you..." has been used universally. For example: "Make sure you collect your belongings before you leave the train."

However, in the last couple of years I've noticed what I'm guessing is an American usage creeping into the UK, even in corporate communications and announcements. For example "Make sure to collect your belongings before you leave the train."

Hearing "make sure to..." really grates on me: to my ears, "be sure to.." is fine, but not "make sure to...". Has "make sure to..." always been correct, but has just become more common recently, or am I right in thinking that it's wrong, at least in the UK?

Edit

I am aware that there is a similar question regarding "make sure to" vs. "be sure to". Thanks to DjinTonic for providing the Ngram showing that "make sure to collect" is rarely used in British English, which isn't explained by the other question.

On the other hand, the Ngram also shows that "make sure you collect" wasn't used much before 1960, so perhaps they are both incorrect!

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    What makes you think that "make sure to..." is wrong?
    – KillingTime
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 17:40
  • @KillingTime - Because it sounds wrong to me in the same way that "Please pass me them shoes" sounds wrong. I'm afraid that my knowledge of English grammar is far too sketchy for me to explain why it might be wrong. Hence my question.
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 17:47
  • Does this answer your question? “Make sure to” vs. “Be sure to”: Is the first one correct?
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 18:03
  • That question doesn't explain why there is no ngram for "make sure to collect" for BrE.
    – DjinTonic
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 18:09
  • @EdwinAshworth That question is very similar and related (I reviewed it before posting this question). I'm puzzled by the merit (to my ears) of "make sure you" rather than "be sure to".
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 18:10

3 Answers 3

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Ngrams:

make sure to visit / make sure you visit

AmE

BrE

make sure to collect / make sure you collect

AmE

BrE <--- make sure to collect not found

To make sure to, followed by a verb in the infinitive, is se faire fort de,...
...
I shall make sure to bring him to you repentant and submissive, if you do but authorize me to assure him of his being pardoned. Charles Gerrard; Easy Lessons for translating English into French (1842) pp.263-264 [a British publication]

(This is unrelated, but surely that sentence wouldn't be in French I homework - his being pardoned ?)

You will, at the beginning, then, know what you are to receive and you will make sure to collect it at the proper time. This done, with good health and good courage, you are reasonably sure of an income sufficient for your comfort. The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 139, p.421 (1898)

Before th'attempt is made, make sure to win The Works of the English Poets from Chaucer to Cowper, Translation from Ovid's "Art of Love" (1810)

We also have the very similar make certain to...

Will our members please make a note of the dates, 6th April to 18th May, make certain to visit the exhibition themselves, and ... Yorkshire Dialect Society, Transactions, Vol. 5-7 (1929)

Therefore today, before we authorize or approve the sale of a machine gun, we make certain to go into the matter thoroughly to determine that it is gong to a legitimate law-enforcement agent. Hearings, U.S. Dept. of Justice (1934)

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  • Well that shows that my impression that this is a recent usage is correct. See also BrE make sure you remember. What I'd really like to know though is whether the new usage is grammatically correct.
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 17:54
  • Please check for duplicates before answering. There's far too much bloat on ELU already, and it makes searches far more time-consuming.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 18:03
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    @TimRogers It isn't recent. I've added some examples.
    – DjinTonic
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 19:05
  • OK fair enough, although [1842] and [1810] are related to translating from other languages and [1898] and [1934] are American English. The Yorkshire Dialect Society clinches it for me as no doubt they would have made sure to use correct grammar. The grating has already stopped. Thank you!
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 21:26
  • The example was for translating presumably correct British English into French.
    – DjinTonic
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 22:44
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You are grating unnecessarily and against the run of history. Although to make sure is often followed by (i) a content clause or (ii) “of”, “to make sure to” has been used at least since the early 18th century.

1706 tr. Thomas à Kempis Imitation of Christ iii. xlv. 228 How often have I made sure to meet with Fidelity, where I have found none

1757 Ten Plagues of Eng. viii. 33 The old Leech will always make sure to be pretty safe in his Bargains.

1889 F. C. Philips Young Ainslie's Courtship I. vii. 87 He just waited for a few hours to make sure of his position.

Probably related to

OED

P7. to be sure.
a. Preceding an infinitive or other clause: to be careful to do something; to ensure that one does something. Chiefly in imperative, esp. in be sure to: take care to, don't fail to. Also in to be sure and in later, colloquial use (cf. and conj.1 10).

c1555 Manifest Detection Diceplay sig. Ciiiv Haue in a redines to be roisted in when time shalbe, your fine chetes of all sorts, be sure to haue in store of such as these be.

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  • [1706] and [1757] have salved my grating. It is regrettable that I can only accept one answer, but I've upvoted you nonetheless.
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 21:42
  • @TimRogers The question is in the context of a command: Make sure you (do something) vs. Make sure to (do something). Examples of other cases, "I make sure to button my coat" are not relevant here, I shouldn't think.
    – GArthurBrown
    Commented Sep 16, 2021 at 16:38
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Provided context is missing or objective, "to" is impersonal, "you" is personal. In writing, the latter could only really be proper as detailing a conversation between characters in the book, or it will mistakenly be addressed to the reader, which mightn't want to be ordered about.

It would be very strange indeed to see the latter in writing without quotes, let's say as an admonition on a sign. "Remember/ensure/make sure to" would be fine, but if "you" is substituted, there's this strange case of a sign made of dead matter personally addressing the air.

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  • I'm not sure I buy this line of argument. A rather famous Kitchener poster springs to mind.
    – Tim Rogers
    Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 21:40

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