"Shoelaces" in my sentence

[Rachel Adams]

Unless the speaker is going to eat shoelaces the sentence is wrong, isn't it?
I mean "Can you help me to tie my shoelaces?"
"Can you help me to shoelaces?"

 

[Rachel Adams]

Rachel, there are fifteen of your threads on the first page of the 'Ask a Teacher' forum at the moment. Do you think you could take a break and let others have an opportunity to have their questions answered?

Oh, of course. I will post new questions tomorrow.

 

[emsr2d2]

Rachel, you currently have 11 open threads on page 1 of "Ask a Teacher". We consider this flooding the forum. Please limit your posts to make sure that other learners get a look in. Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

This is not the first time we've had to ask you this. You've gradually been sneaking more and more in.

 

[Rachel Adams]

This is not the first time we've had to ask you this. You've gradually been sneaking more and more in.

I will not post anything as I said. I am not going to flood the forum.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Unless the speaker is going to eat shoelaces, the sentence is wrong, isn't it?

There's nothing there suggesting that anyone is going to eat shoelaces!

I mean "Can you help me [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] tie my shoelaces?"

"Can you help me tie my shoelaces?"

That's how we'd say it.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you want to omit the word "tie", you can say "Can you help me lace my shoes [up]?"

 

[Rachel Adams]

That's how we'd say it.

I didn't know that "to" is wrong.:shock:

 

[tedmc]

I didn't know that "to" is wrong.:shock:

It is not wrong, just optional, and sounds better.

 

[emsr2d2]

What sounds better?

I believe Tedmc is trying to say that "Can you help me tie my shoelaces?" sounds better than "Can you help me to tie my shoelaces?"

I wouldn't go with "better", but it's certainly more natural and more likely to be heard from native speakers.


Tedmc's response would have been clearer as:

"It is not wrong, just optional, and the sentence sounds better without it."

I suppose it's possible that tedmc actually thinks it sounds better with "it". If that's the case, I disagree.

 

[tedmc]

Isn't what is natural better than what is not?

 

[emsr2d2]

Isn't what is natural better than what is not?

The point is that your post #11 didn't make it clear whether you thought it was better to include "it" or omit "it".

 

[YAMATO2201]

That's how we'd say it.

Is "help me with my shoelaces" possible?

Could you please help me with my shoelaces? I have trouble bending over.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't agree. HELP is one of the extremely rare verbs that can be followed by either a bare infinitive or a to- infinitive with absolutely no difference in meaning.. Some people prefer one form, some the other. Neither is 'more natural'.

My memory, possibly faulty, tells me that when I was at school many decades ago, the bare infinitive was frowned on as American English.

Fair enough. I certainly wasn't suggesting that there was a difference in meaning between them. Perhaps "more natural" was out of place there. I still maintain that it's more common in everyday English in the UK to omit "to" after "help.

Can you help me open the window?
Can anyone help me find out the answer?
I'm going to help you book a flight.
Why don't you ever help your dad do the housework?

 

[Alexey86]

HELP is one of the extremely rare verbs that can be followed by either a bare infinitive or a to- infinitive with absolutely no difference in meaning

What do you think of the following distinction I've found on english.stackexchange.com at the very bottom of this thread: https://english.stackexchange.com/q...nfinitive-after-the-verb-help-with-or-without?

Please, help me to understand this

Means, literally, ‘please get involved in my process of understanding (the ‘learning activity’ involved in being able to understand’ - this).

It means ‘assist me in my journey of becoming someone who already understands’ or ‘is able to understand’ whatever it is).

I am looking to acquire ‘a state’ of being able ‘to understand’.


Please, help me understand this.

Focuses more on the topic that is desired to be understood. Whatever ‘this’ is, in the discussion.

It means ‘please help me understand the topic - ‘cooking pancakes’ or ‘beveling marble’ or ‘arranging tulips’ etc.

 

[probus]

My memory, possibly faulty, tells me that when I was at school many decades ago, the bare infinitive was frowned on as American English.

Ah, those waning days of empire. I honestly did not know that some Brits had frowned on AmE. Nowadays I frown on it myself sometimes but as the Donald said, it is what it is.