assure
ensure
guarantee
promise
這組字的意思是要消除疑慮,借以使人對某些事覺得確實或可靠,都是保證、擔保的意思.
【Assure】可以表示證實或使人覺得確實.
例如：The doctor assured him that his child would recover from the illness（醫(yī)生向他保證說他的孩子會痊愈）;
The fact that the hospital had a good reputation assured him that his child would be well taken care of（該醫(yī)院聲譽良好,使他確信孩子將受到妥善的照顧）.
【Ensure】可拼作insure,它的意思是保證某些行動或者媒介獲得結(jié)果.
例如：To ensure the child's quick recovery,the doctor gave him an antibiotic（為確保那孩子獲迅速痊愈,醫(yī)生給他注射抗生素）.
Ensure也有保障,防受傷害的意思.
例如：to ensure freedom against tyranny（保障反抗暴政的自由）.
【Guarantee】的意思是指對產(chǎn)品質(zhì)素或履行服務或義務負起責任的保證.
Guarantee一項債務的人,assure債主一定獲得付款.
【Promise】像assure一樣,往往是指設(shè)法令人覺得穩(wěn)當可靠,但是并不guarantee結(jié)果必如所期.Promise是應承的意思,只表示自己的意向,而非負起義務,連小孩子都知道并不是一切諾言都受人遵守.
例如：to promise someone a rise in pay（答應給某人加薪）;
to promise to keep an appointment（應允踐約）
在另一意義上,promise只表示有樂觀理由.病人回復胃口可視為promising跡象.