第1个回答 2012-03-19
We simply don't ensure sb to do something; we just ensure something(or something that will happen). We often assure sb of something.
With some little changes and your translation will look more presentable:
I called him earlier (better than in advance ) to ensure that he could attend the conference in time.
You can thank sb in advance , but you can not call sb in advance. You don't need to call sb "up", just call him or her, that's enough, "up" is redundant.
hope my answer will be helpful.