Learn English – How often is “check” used to mean “ensure”

meaningword-usage

I'd like to know how often check is used to mean ensure, which means not only "determine if everything is right," but also "take the appropriate actions to correct the situation if it is not."

What I'd like to understand is how likely is that readers understand this as the intended meaning. Is there's a high change that he will think the only an assessment is requested? Would using another expression such as "ensure" or "make sure" be better?

Best Answer

To check something means you are only investigating the object. Taking the appropriate actions to remedy the issue is usually its own additional phrase:

I will check the status and fix any errors that exist.

Will you check the servers and ensure they are working correctly?

However, if it is implied or stated that the person should take action to remedy the situation, a response using check instead of ensure is sufficient.

Will you look into our data inconsistency issue? Sure, I will check it out.

As Walter's answer stated, you should consider an alternative to check if you want to imply the extra work of fixing potential issues, or use a prior sentence to infer that the extra work is part of the task.

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