please correct

Question

Is this sentence correct? I think it sounds a bit weird... The drying process helps to preserve the cacao bean and to prevent it from being damaged.

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

The drying process helps preserve the cacao bean and prevents it from being damaged.

CalifJim · Answer

Yes, the sentence is correct. ... helps to preserve and helps to prevent ...

CJ

Goodman · Answer

CalifJimYes, the sentence is correct. ... helps to preserve and helps to prevent ...

CJ

I think "help" is one of thsoe troublesome words...

I think both are used and [help to] is correct but only in some contexts. i.e. This new procedure should helps [to] prevent the accidents from repeating.

But I also occassionally see [to] used after [help] in similar conatext. Is it correct?

But I know "It helps to have rich parents" is a correct structure.

CalifJim · Answer

After help as a catenative, to may be included or omitted quite indifferently.

The procedure helps prevent accidents.
The procedure helps to prevent accidents.
My brother helped me load the truck.
My brother helped me to load the truck.

In It helps to have rich parents, help is not used as a catenative, because we are not saying something like

What can I do to help you have rich parents?
What can I do to help you to have rich parents?

Instead, what we have is "preposed it".

To have rich parents helps ( [us / people in general] ). > It helps to have rich parents.

This is the same as:

To tell you this news saddens me. > It saddens me to tell you this news.

The to of the infinitive must be retained in the "preposed it" construction.

In the exceedingly unlikely case that "preposed it" and catenative help occur together in the same sentence, the catenative usage comes first, allowing the inclusion or omission of to in the catenative structure.

It helps make life easier to have rich parents.
It helps to make life easier to have rich parents.

Note that these are very awkward sentences and that an alternate way of expressing the thought would certainly be used by any good writer.

CJ

Goodman · Answer

Thanks CJ,

So please kindly tell me…Are all four correct? Or only the ones without [to]?

The procedure helps prevent accidents.
The procedure helps to prevent accidents.
My brother helped me load the truck.
My brother helped me to load the truck.

I just want to clarify my own understanding.

CalifJim · Answer

Ungrammatical sentences are preceded by the symbol * in my posts -- although I sometimes write (NO!) at the end instead. (The * is standard in all linguistics books as well. ? indicates questionable grammaticality. ! indicates grammatical, but in a wrong or unintended reading, resulting in a surprising meaning.)

So they are all correct! All four! Completely correct!

CJ

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