Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew H.
Except for the fact that the words largely are synonyms, meaning that it is no less correct to write "We will leave early to ensure that we arrive on time" than to write "We will leave early to insure that we arrive on time." Both are correct (in AmE). Similarly, "Are these the books you're looking for?" and "I want to first point out some issues with this draft" are both correct despite the final preposition and split infinitive.
|
The words are not synonyms, never have been. They have very distinctly different meanings. In your example, the first is correct; the second is not. I'd like to see a cite that tells me it is acceptable to interchange the two. Even if that is forthcoming for American English, it certainly is not true of English.