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I read the following script in a TOEIC Speaking book:

“Hi, Mohammed. This is Sam. I just got your voicemail about the printing job. I would rather go with the original printer. Maybe you can ask them to print twenty copies first and make sure they deliver them on time, before you have a meeting with a client, and then they can finish up the rest of the copies later… after you have a meeting.”

I think the bold-faced sentence can be analyzed into the following:

  1. You can ask them to print twenty copies first and (you can ask them to) make sure they deliver them on time.

  2. You can ask them to print twenty copies first and (you can) make sure they deliver them on time.

Which one do you think is correct? #1? #2? Thanks in advance.

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Mohammed is definitely the one that has to make sure they deliver them on time. If the writer meant that the printers have to make sure themselves that they deliver on time, he/she would probably have said :

"Maybe you can ask them to print twenty copies first and to make sure they deliver them on time."

It is a bit heavier but removes any ambiguity.

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  • Thank you for your clear and simple explanation! I like it! ^^
    – niue
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 13:49
  • But it's inconsistent. It's unacceptable to follow 'Mohammed is definitely the one that has to make sure they deliver them on time.' with '[Version B] removes any ambiguity.'
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 14:51
  • Well i don't have any doubt in the matter, but someone else might (hence the OP's question). Whatever the case is, [version B] does remove any ambiguity one might have.
    – MorganFR
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 14:54
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I believe that Sam is asking Mohammed to make sure that the printer delivers them on time, for example by checking with the printer a couple of times that they are on target to deliver them on time.

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  • 'I believe' probably indicates a level of doubt.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 12:49
  • Well, it's always hard to be certain about what's meant by some random bit of text.
    – Max Williams
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 12:49
  • I think the opposite from Max. But it is ambiguous as written. In speech, the phrasing and tone of voice would probably have clarified it.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 12:49
  • If you're leaving it up to the printer to make sure it's on time, what would you do? When you make the booking, would you say "Oh, and could you deliver it on time please?" The printer would say "Yes, of course!", possibly slightly insulted that you'd asked. And then (in my experience) they might deliver it late, for a variety of reasons, such as disorganisation and general incompetence (I've dealt with printers). If it's very important to Sam that the materials are delivered on time, then Mohammed needs to take extra steps to make sure it happens.
    – Max Williams
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 12:52
  • See also delivering something with obvious printing flaws, or that simply isn't what you asked for, or delivering it to the wrong address. etc.
    – Max Williams
    Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 12:54

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