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Dileepa Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Prepositions after "help"

I would really appreciate it, if someone could let me know whether we should add "to" after help or not. For example, please someone tell me whether following sentences are correct or not?


Reading help you understand various aspects of the world.

Reading help you to understand various aspects of the world.



However, according to the Ngram, both of options are possible. If both sentences are grammatically correct, please tell me whether there are any different between the meanings of the sentences.


https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=help+you+to+understand%2Chelp+you+understand+&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Chelp%20you%20to%20understand%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Chelp%20you%20understand%3B%2Cc0

  

Top answer

The verb 'help' is unusual in this way. The 'to' of the following infinitive is optional, and it does not affect the meaning in any way. (But please don't call it a preposition.

— CalifJim

  • The verb 'help' is unusual in this way.
  • The 'to' of the following infinitive is optional, and it does not affect the meaning in any way.
  • (But please don't call it a preposition.
  • ) CJ
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1 Answers
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The verb 'help' is unusual in this way. The 'to' of the following infinitive is optional, and it does not affect the meaning in any way.

(But please don't call it a preposition. It's the 'to' of an infinitive, which is a verb, and prepositions don't introduce the plain forms of verbs.)

CJ

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