Verbs Followed by Infinitives

[Loly Colmenarez]

I was reading one of those list of verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives and I saw help in the list of verbs followed by infinitives, that made me feel confused because I have heard things like " to help me cope..." but I've never heard or read something like "help me to cope", what is the correct grammar structure ?

Thanks
Loly

[Teia]

I was reading one of those list of verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives and I saw help in the list of verbs followed by infinitives, that made me feel confused because I have heard things like " to help me cope..." but I've never heard or read something like "help me to cope", what is the correct grammar structure ?

Thanks
Loly

Help is one of the causative verbs in English language. However, it can be followed by a long infinitive as well:

I helped him do / to do it.
I was helped to do it. - passive

Causative Verbs

Causative verbs designate the action necessary to cause another action to happen. In "The devil made me do it." the verb "made" causes the "do" to happen. Here is a brief list of causative verbs, in no particular order: let, help, allow, have, require, allow, motivate, get, make, convince, hire, assist, encourage, permit, employ, force. Most of them are followed by an object (noun or pronoun) followed by an infinitive: "She allows her pet cockatiel to perch on the windowsill. She hired a carpenter to build a new birdcage."

Three causative verbs are exceptions to the pattern described above. Instead of being followed by a noun/pronoun and an infinitive, the causative verbs have, make and let are followed by a noun/pronoun and the base form of the verb (which is actually an infinitive with the "to" left off).

* Professor Villa had her students read four short novels in one week.
* She also made them read five plays in one week.
* However, she let them skip the final exam.
Verbs and Verbals

The verbs mostly used as causatives are get, let, have and make.
Note: 'get' follows the pattern: Get someone *TO* do something.

ENGLISH PAGE - Let / Make / Have / Get

The idea is that help can be used either with the particle to or without to. When used in passive constructions, help is followed by to:

He had been helped to do it.
She was helped to do it.

Here are some useful links:

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...tive-verb.html

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...ish-verbs.html

http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary...tive-verb.html