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Norwolf Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

To help you/ helping you

1# The man to help you is Mr. Green.
2# The man helping you is Mr. Green.
What is the difference between the two?
Both can refer to the future, and there being no difference, they can be changed into: The man who will help you is Mr. Green.
To my ear, the relationship sometimes sounds blurred.
I would appreciate it if you teachers gave me a hand.
  

Top answer

As we use these phrases, they have very distinct standard meanings: 1# The man to help you is Mr. Green. = Mr Green is the right person to choose for any help you may need.

— Mister Micawber

  • As we use these phrases, they have very distinct standard meanings: 1# The man to help you is Mr.
  • Green.
  • = Mr Green is the right person to choose for any help you may need.
  • 2# The man helping you is Mr.
  • Green.
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9 Answers
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As we use these phrases, they have very distinct standard meanings:

1# The man to help you is Mr. Green. = Mr Green is the right person to choose for any help you may need.
2# The man helping you is Mr. Green. = That person working with you now is Mr Green.
3# The man who will help you is Mr. Green.= We have chosen Mr Green to help you.
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It is normal that English sometimes sounds blurred.Emotion: smile It isn't always very exact and to my mind international agreements and treaties
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Mister Micawber2# The man helping you is Mr. Green. = That person working with you now is Mr Green
Thank you, MM.
According to what I learn from A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, 2# could mean:
A. The man who helps you is....
B.The man who helped you is...
C The man is helping you is...
D. The
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Thank you, Cool Breeze.
It is kind of you.
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The CGEL is indeed comprehensive, and it tries to cover all the bases, but you need to sort out what is reasonably expected.. and you need, I think to practice your transcription skills. As far as I'm concerned:

A. The man who helps you is....-- This is true where the man is now helping you (He is your current helper, though he needn't be lifting a hammer at this moment.)
B
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B.The man who helped you (just now) is... D. The man who was helping you (just now) is...
Could I say B/D, meaning the same as the original?
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Let me go on having a try:
norwolf B.The man who helped you (last week) is... D. The man who was helping you (last) is...
I think the last week can't be omitted, because otherwise, we would change the meaning of the original.
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B is the original? Then omitting 'last week' does not change the relationship between B and D.
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