Could you please help me to make the dinner?

[Winwin2011]

[FONT=&#26032]A: Could you please help me to make the dinner?

Does the above sentence mean the speaker ask the listener to make the dinner together?

Thanks.
[/FONT]

 

[emsr2d2]

A: Could you please help me to make the dinner?

Does the above sentence mean the speaker ask the listener to make the dinner together?

Thanks.

Effectively, yes. The speaker is asking the listener for some help in making the dinner. It might not be a 50/50 split of the work. The listener might perhaps simply peel some potatoes and the speaker will do the rest, but the speaker wants the listener to do something helpful (an unspecified thing) with regard to making dinner.

 

[Winwin2011]

“To help someone do something” means you do it with them. When I google “Can you help me to check", I saw some people use “Can you help me..” as follows:

1. Can you help me to check my grammar of this essay?.
2. Can you help me to check my writing here?
3. Can you help me check what’s wrong with my lens?

I wonder if they are incorrect. Is it better to say “Can you check my grammar of this essay for me?”

Thanks.

 

[5jj]

HELP is one of the rare verbs in English that can be followed by either a bare infinitive or a to- infinitive. There is no difference in meaning.

 

[Winwin2011]

HELP is one of the rare verbs in English that can be followed by either a bare infinitive or a to- infinitive. There is no difference in meaning.

Thanks 5jj.

Do you mean there is no difference in meaning between "help me" and "for me" in those sentences?

 

[Winwin2011]

If I post a new thread on Using English.com asking somebody to check my writing, are the following sentences both grammatically correct if I write the title as follow?

Could you help me to check my writing, please?
Could you check my writing for me, please?

I am confused because I read the following from a book:

“In English, to help someone do something means you do it with them. When it is not to be done with the person, it is best to use “for” not “help”.

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

"For me" can mean "instead of me" or "on my behalf" or "as a favour to me" or even "and then give it to me".

Can you make dinner for me? = Can you make dinner and then give it to me to eat?
Can you make dinner for me? = I should be making dinner but I'm too tired/lazy/bored so can you make it instead of me?
Can you make mum's dinner for me? = I am supposed to make mum's dinner but I want you to do it instead/on my behalf.
Can you take this to the post office for me? = This needs to be taken to the post office and I want you to do it on my behalf/as a favour to me.

Can you help me [to] make dinner? = I am going to make dinner. Please come into the kitchen and do something useful.

Please help me by checking my essay for errors = Please look at my essay and see if there are any errors. This will help me.