Meaning & use
help
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To do something useful for someone so a task or problem is easier.
Grammar: Often help someone (to) do something.
Patterns
- help someone with something
- help someone do something
- help out
Can you help me carry these boxes?
She helped with the cooking.
He helps his neighbor with the garden.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To improve a situation or make a problem less serious.
Grammar: Subject can be a thing: the medicine helps.
Patterns
- help something
- it helps to do something
The medicine helped my headache.
It helps to make a list.
Crying doesn't help.
verbtransitive
To avoid or stop yourself doing something, used with can't or couldn't.
Grammar: Usually in negatives: can't help laughing.
Patterns
- can't help doing something
- can't help it
I couldn't help laughing.
She can't help worrying.
He can't help it if he's shy.
verbphrasal verbinformal
To serve yourself with food or take something.
Grammar: Help yourself to something.
Patterns
- help yourself to something
Help yourself to some coffee.
He helped himself to my sandwich.
Please help yourselves.
noununcountable
Assistance given to someone.
Grammar: Uncountable: some help, not 'a help'.
Patterns
- help with something
- with the help of someone
- ask for help
Thanks for your help.
She asked for help with her homework.
He fixed it with the help of a friend.
nounsingular
A person or thing that provides assistance.
Grammar: Often a great help.
Patterns
- a help to someone
The map was a great help.
Your son is a real help.
She's not much help.
Word forms
| third person singular | helps |
|---|---|
| past tense | helped |
| past participle | helped |
| -ing form | helping |
Common combinations
- ask for help
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- help out
- She helps out at the shop.
- with the help of
- We did it with the help of volunteers.
- can't help but
- I can't help but smile.
- cry for help
- Neighbors heard a cry for help.
- medical help
- He needs medical help.
Synonyms and how they differ
- assist
- Assist is more formal.
- aid
- Aid is formal and used for relief.
- support
- Support stresses ongoing backing.
- lend a hand
- Lend a hand is an informal idiom.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: help or helping?
help vs helping
A helping is a portion of food.
Practice
I couldn't help ___ when I saw his face.
Choose one answer.
Can't help is followed by an -ing form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “help”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.