Learn English – wanted to make sure vs wanted to be sure

word-choiceword-usage

I have to write one of the following phrases into a formal correspondence (job application)

I just wanted to be sure that I understood it correctly

 

I just wanted to make sure that I understood it correctly

Which one should I use?

This is the context :

I would therefore assure you that I accept the terms and I am willing to start on 10th of June.
I just wanted to be sure that I understood it correctly, before booking the flight.

Best Answer

You can use either "to make sure" or "to be sure" in your sentence presented, without any difference in meaning. However, according to Ngram, the former is becoming more common in the last couple of decades.