(To) help +-ing form
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- marta baglioni
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(To) help +-ing form
1) Help followed by an -ing form (e.g., she helps doing something).
I found this sentence construction in various newspapers and books--like The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times (I'll leave a link with some examples: https://ludwig.guru/s/help+doing)--so I am a bit confused: I thought both forms (help+to do and help doing) were accepted and of common use.
2) The Same thing happened with "good job at (instead of "of") doing something". I'll leave a link with some examples for this, too: https://ludwig.guru/s/an+excellent+job+at.
So, in both cases, it is easy to find these forms in papers, etc., and they should be correct. What do you think?
Do you know if there is a particular grammar that should be followed?
- Juliet+1
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But all the forms you mention are indeed acceptable. It's usually a question of which is preferred, and that will often depend on the context. As a general rule, "help to do" is preferred (in American English). Also "good job of" is the preferred form unless, of course, you are referring to a place or an organization. Then you would use "at."
Hope this helps.
- marta baglioni
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Thank you for your answer! It's probably better if I stick to American English, thenJuliet+1 wrote: ↑15 Oct 2021, 19:59 Well, just because something appears in a newspaper doesn't mean it's correct. Reporters work fast and make plenty of mistakes.
But all the forms you mention are indeed acceptable. It's usually a question of which is preferred, and that will often depend on the context. As a general rule, "help to do" is preferred (in American English). Also "good job of" is the preferred form unless, of course, you are referring to a place or an organization. Then you would use "at."
Hope this helps.
Thanks again!
- vivi-BR
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marba wrote: ↑15 Oct 2021, 11:20 Hello! I just received feedback that left me a little confused. Could you help me?
1) Help followed by an -ing form (e.g., she helps doing something).
I found this sentence construction in various newspapers and books--like The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times (I'll leave a link with some examples: https://ludwig.guru/s/help+doing)--so I am a bit confused: I thought both forms (help+to do and help doing) were accepted and of common use.
2) The Same thing happened with "good job at (instead of "of") doing something". I'll leave a link with some examples for this, too: https://ludwig.guru/s/an+excellent+job+at.
So, in both cases, it is easy to find these forms in papers, etc., and they should be correct. What do you think?
Do you know if there is a particular grammar that should be followed?
In case it helps,
- the -ing form is called gerund
- the to [verb] form is called infinitive
Unfortunately I can’t help with the specific questions as they are exactly the type of questions I will be asking here