How to make instructions clear

Why highlight an important step?

A simple imperative directly names an action: Close the door. Make sure, Remember to and Be careful to add a reason to pay special attention. They help when a result is essential, a step is easily forgotten or a mistake could cause harm.

These patterns have related but different functions. First identify the intention, then build the continuation: this rule puts a clause with its own subject and verb after Make sure, and a base verb after Remember to or Be careful to.

How to build it

important result → Make sure (that) + subject + verb; reminder → Remember to + base; caution → Be careful (not) to + base

subject / S: The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.

Make sure you have your ticket.

The speaker highlights an essential result before a journey.

Remember to take your ticket.

The speaker reminds someone of an easily missed action.

Be careful not to lose your ticket.

The speaker warns about an unwanted result.

Make sure (that) + clause

Make sure means checking or ensuring something. Follow it with a complete clause: subject and verb. That is often optional: Make sure that the window is closed and Make sure the window is closed have the same meaning here.

The clause’s subject shows who acts or which result must hold: you save, everyone has, the door is. Make sure you saving is incorrect: you needs finite save, not an -ing form alone.

Make sure to + base verb is also used when the agent is understood and is not a grammatical error. This material specifically practises the transparent A2 Make sure (that) + clause pattern; a task requiring a clause needs a visible subject.

How to build it

Make sure + (that) + subject + finite verb

subject / S: The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.

Make sure you save your work before closing.

You is the clause’s subject; save is the correct finite form after it.

Make sure that everyone has a copy.

That introduces everyone has a copy and can be omitted.

Make sure the lights are off.

The pattern emphasises a required result rather than merely naming an action.

Remember (not) to + base verb

Remember to + base reminds someone to perform an action. After to, use the base form: remember to call, remember to bring, remember to save. Do not add -ing after to.

To remind someone not to act, put not before to: Remember not to share the password. This concerns a prohibited or unwanted action.

Remember + -ing can be grammatical with another meaning: remembering a past event, as in I remember meeting her. It is not an error, but differs from the reminder pattern practised here.

How to build it

Remember + (not) + to + base verb

verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
V1 / base form: The base verb without to: work, go, be.

Remember to bring your passport.

Bring takes its base form after to.

Remember not to open this file.

Not before to makes open the action to avoid.

Please remember to call me at six.

Please softens the direct reminder without changing remember to call.

Be careful (not) to + base verb

Be careful to + base asks for attentive performance: Be careful to write the right number. Be careful not to + base warns which action to avoid: Be careful not to press the red button.

The simplest negative warning is careful + not + to + base verb. Careful to not press is also possible, but do not put don’t after to: Be careful to don’t press is incorrect.

Be careful with the glass and Be careful when you cross the road are also grammatical but use different patterns. Here we focus on the to-infinitive and not’s position.

How to build it

Be careful + (not) + to + base verb

verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
V1 / base form: The base verb without to: work, go, be.

Be careful to enter the correct date.

The positive form asks for particular care when performing enter.

Be careful not to burn yourself.

Not to burn identifies a risk to avoid.

Please be careful not to wake the baby.

Please softens the warning; not stays before to.

Choosing a pattern

Ask what you want to highlight. To check or ensure a required state or result, choose Make sure. For an easily forgotten action, choose Remember to. For care or avoiding risk, choose Be careful (not) to.

A real situation can allow two patterns. Remember to lock the door focuses on remembering the action; Make sure the door is locked focuses on the result. Both are grammatical, with different perspectives.

Remember to lock the door.

The focus is remembering a future action.

Make sure the door is locked.

The focus is checking the door’s final state.

Be careful not to lock the key inside.

The focus is a specific unwanted risk.

Clarity is not the same as politeness

These patterns clarify a priority but remain direct instructions. In a work email or conversation, add please, a name or a brief reason if useful: Please remember to send the form today.

Could you close the window? and Please close the window are grammatical, polite alternatives. They are not errors merely because they lack the target pattern. A task explicitly requiring a pattern may reject them for missing its learning target, without making them ungrammatical.

Please remember to send the form today.

Please adds politeness while Remember to retains its reminder function.

Could you make sure everyone has the link?

The question pattern softens the request; everyone has the link remains a complete clause.

From one sentence to a complete instruction

A good instruction names a specific action, its object and, if needed, a time or reason. Remember to check it is unclear if the other person does not know what it means. Prefer Remember to check the address before you send the parcel.

A short sequence need not begin every step with the same pattern. Use Make sure for a critical result, Remember to for an easily forgotten step and Be careful not to only for a real risk. For longer instructions, provide a way to clarify: If anything is unclear, ask me or call the support number. What do I do next? and Is there anything else? check understanding; lacking the target pattern does not make them errors.

Remember to check the address before you send the parcel.

The object and time for checking are stated explicitly.

Make sure the lid is closed, and be careful not to press the red button.

The first pattern specifies a result; the second separately identifies a risk.

If anything is unclear, call the support number.

A channel for questions supplements precise steps and helps check understanding.

Common mistakes

Incorrect:Make sure you saving your work before closing.

Correct:Make sure you save your work before closing.

The clause needs finite save after subject you; saving alone cannot form its predicate.

Incorrect:Make sure that turn off the lights.

Correct:Make sure that you turn off the lights.

The clause after that requires a subject; the smallest correction is adding you.

Incorrect:Remember bring your passport.

Correct:Remember to bring your passport.

A reminder about a future action uses Remember to + base.

Incorrect:Remember to bringing your passport.

Correct:Remember to bring your passport.

Infinitival to requires base-form bring, not bringing.

Incorrect:Be careful not touch the hot pan.

Correct:Be careful not to touch the hot pan.

Do not omit to before the base verb in a negative warning.

Incorrect:Be careful to don't press the red button.

Correct:Be careful not to press the red button.

Not comes before to in this model; to don’t is incorrect.

Sources