Help!

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

¢Þ Potato Man - 28 Jan 2004 23:05 GMT

I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
or a bare verb after the verb "help."

Even in a single well-known book, an author uses sentences like;

(1) This method helps the researcher understand the problems.
(2) This method helped them to clarify the problems.

Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!

Reply to this Message

Christopher Johnson - 28 Jan 2004 23:27 GMT

> I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
> or a bare verb after the verb "help."
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!

I would say that the 'to' is optional, though it
makes the sentence slightly more formal perhaps.

"Could you help me lift this?"

and

"Could you help me to lift this?"

...are *both* acceptable.

Signature

Christopher

(Change 3032 to 3232 to reply by private e-mail)

Reply to this Message

Skitt - 29 Jan 2004 00:11 GMT

> I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
> or a bare verb after the verb "help."
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!

Either usage is fine with me and most AmE writers, I'd say. It may be so
for BrE writers too, but I don't know that for sure.

Signature

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Reply to this Message

mUs1Ka - 29 Jan 2004 00:41 GMT

>> I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
>> or a bare verb after the verb "help."
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Either usage is fine with me and most AmE writers, I'd say. It may
> be so for BrE writers too, but I don't know that for sure.

I would say so.
m.

Reply to this Message

John Varela - 29 Jan 2004 01:08 GMT

> I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
> or a bare verb after the verb "help."
>
> Even in a single well-known book, an author uses sentences like;
>
> (1) This method helps the researcher understand the problems.

Present tense.

> (2) This method helped them to clarify the problems.

Past tense.

> Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!

No. (1) would be used to explain why the forthcoming methodology should be of
interest to the researcher. No. (2) provides background information about the
method, which may also be motivational.

Signature

John Varela
(Trade "OLD" lamps for "NEW" for email.)
I apologize for munging the address but the spam is too much.

Reply to this Message

Skitt - 29 Jan 2004 01:39 GMT

> "óÌ Potato Man" wrote:

>> I often get confused whether to use a to-infinitive verb
>> or a bare verb after the verb "help."
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> should be of interest to the researcher. No. (2) provides background
> information about the method, which may also be motivational.

Pretty good explanation of the tenses, but that wasn't the question.

Signature

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Reply to this Message

John Varela - 29 Jan 2004 16:13 GMT

> >> Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!
> >
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Pretty good explanation of the tenses, but that wasn't the question.

No? I thought I expained when/where/how one would use the two forms.

Signature

John Varela
(Trade "OLD" lamps for "NEW" for email.)
I apologize for munging the address but the spam is too much.

Reply to this Message

Skitt - 29 Jan 2004 23:15 GMT

>>>> Now, could me tell me about the usage? Thank you!
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> No? I thought I expained when/where/how one would use the two forms.

You snipped the main part of the original question (why did you do that?),
and I'm not going back to restore it.

You explained the different tenses, which were purely incidental. You'll
see that if you re-read the original question.

The question was not about tenses but about the use in infinitives with or
without a "to", and the differences, if any, between such usages.

That was answered by another poster.

Signature

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

Help!