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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
english
Please guide me in which sentence is correct and why? what's the difference?
thank you in advance.
Joan helped her mother wipe the table.
Joan helped her mother to wipe the table.
thank you in advance.
Joan helped her mother wipe the table.
Joan helped her mother to wipe the table.
Top answer
Both sentences are correct and mean the same thing. The difference is that the 2nd sentence is more formal-sounding, while the first is more informal sounding. Here are examples of situations in which they might be used: When Joan was 10, times were hard and the family was living in public housing.
- Both sentences are correct and mean the same thing.
- The difference is that the 2nd sentence is more formal-sounding, while the first is more informal sounding.
- Here are examples of situations in which they might be used: When Joan was 10, times were hard and the family was living in public housing.
- The dining room table was something they had picked up off the curb.
- But Joan loved its homey feel, and every day after dinner she helped her mother wipe the table.
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2 Answers
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Both sentences are correct and mean the same thing. The difference is that the 2nd sentence is more formal-sounding, while the first is more informal sounding. Here are examples of situations in which they might be used:
When Joan was 10, times were hard and the family was living in public housing. The dining room table was something they had picked up off the curb. But Joan loved its
When Joan was 10, times were hard and the family was living in public housing. The dining room table was something they had picked up off the curb. But Joan loved its
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Anonymous, I'm really puzzled by your reply. I would have said "to help someone do something" is heard much more often (at least in American English) than "to help someone to do something," with little or no difference in meaning or in register (formality). It's possible that the version with "to" sounds slightly more formal, but in your examples you seem to equate increased formality o
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