Help (verb) means to make it easier for someone to do something or to deal with a difficult situation; to assist or support. As a noun, help refers to the assistance or support that is given to someone.
What Does Help Mean?
Help comes from Old English helpan, a strong verb meaning to aid or support. It is related to Old Norse hjalpa, German helfen, and Dutch helpen — all from a Proto-Germanic root. The noun form derives equally from Old English help. This makes help one of the oldest and most stable words in the English language, unchanged in core meaning for well over 1,000 years.
As a verb, help describes the action of making a task, situation, or experience easier for someone: Can you help me understand this grammar rule? As a noun it refers to the assistance itself: Thank you for your help. The word sits at A2 level on the CEFR scale, meaning learners meet it very early, yet its range of patterns — including the fixed idioms can't help doing and help yourself — extends into advanced use.
Note that help differs subtly from its close synonyms. Assist is more formal and typical of professional or official registers. Support implies longer-term or emotional backing rather than a single task. Aid is common in humanitarian, medical, or official contexts. In everyday spoken British English, help is by far the most frequent choice for describing practical assistance.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level / Usage note |
|---|---|
| Can you help me, please? I can't find my book. | A2 — basic request; help + object |
| My older sister helps me with my English homework every evening. | B1 — habitual action; help + object + with + noun |
| Can you help me understand this grammar rule? | B1 — help + object + bare infinitive |
| Regular exercise helps to reduce stress and improve your overall mood. | B2 — formal register; help + to-infinitive, no object |
| I cannot help feeling that the government's policy will do more harm than good. | C1 — fixed idiom: cannot help + gerund (involuntary action) |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example in context |
|---|---|
| ask for help | Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling. |
| offer help | She offered her help without being asked. |
| get help | He needs to get professional help as soon as possible. |
| seek help | Many students seek help from the library staff. |
| provide help | The charity provides help for families in need. |
| professional help | After the accident she decided to seek professional help. |
| a great help | Your advice was a great help to me during that difficult time. |
| with the help of | With the help of a dictionary, I translated the entire text. |
| help yourself | Please help yourself to tea and biscuits. |
| beyond help | The situation seemed beyond help by the time they arrived. |
Usage Notes
Key Grammar Patterns
- help + object + bare infinitive (most common in informal British English): She helped me carry the bags.
- help + object + to-infinitive (also correct; slightly more formal): She helped me to carry the bags.
- help + to-infinitive (no object; describes a general effect): Exercise helps to improve concentration.
- can't / cannot help + gerund (fixed idiom — unable to stop oneself): I couldn't help laughing.
- help yourself (invite someone to take something freely): Help yourself to more cake.
- help out (phrasal verb — assist temporarily): Could you help out this weekend?
In British English both the bare infinitive and the to-infinitive are acceptable after help. The bare infinitive is more natural in conversational speech; the to-infinitive sounds slightly more careful or formal. Both are entirely standard.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
She helped me to carrying the suitcase.
She helped me carry the suitcase. (bare infinitive after help + object — no -ing)
Can you help to me with this exercise?
Can you help me with this exercise? (no 'to' between help and the object)
I couldn't help to laugh at his joke.
I couldn't help laughing at his joke. (can't help must be followed by a gerund, not an infinitive)