help someone to do something

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "help someone to do something" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It indicates that someone is assisting another person in completing a task or action. This phrase is often used when discussing acts of aid or support. Example: My teacher helped me to understand the difficult math problem by breaking it down step by step.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Episode 19: How do I invite someone to do something?

BBC

How do I invite someone to do something?

BBC

Don't "not allow" someone to do something.

WikiHow

Tell someone to do something if you're popular.

WikiHow

Help someone out, do something interesting or creative and your Whuffie score would go up.

Forbes

If you want to help someone to stop looking at porn, give them something else to do instead.

WikiHow

I want to help someone who is trying to do something good for this filthy industry".

Huffington Post

Once I did, I was able to use what I learned from coaching water skiers — you have to figure out how to best help someone do something because you can't go out to the end of the rope and do it for them.

The New York Times

People who stand out from the crowd are people who keep their word and follow up their promises to help, to be somewhere, to do something for someone.

WikiHow

"Someone has to do something.

The New York Times

Someone had to do something".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "help someone to do something", ensure that the action being helped with is clearly defined. This avoids ambiguity and makes your communication more effective.

Common error

Avoid omitting the word "to" in the phrase. While it might sound conversational to say "help someone do something", including "to" maintains grammatical correctness and formality. For example, use "help someone to understand" instead of "help someone understand".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "help someone to do something" functions as a verb phrase. It indicates the act of providing assistance or support to another person in performing a specific action or task. The Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "help someone to do something" is a grammatically correct and widely understood way to express the act of assisting another person. While the examples are currently missing, Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It has a neutral register, suitable for various contexts. For more formal settings, alternatives like "assist" or "facilitate" may be preferred. Remember to include the "to" for grammatical correctness, especially in formal writing. This ensures clarity and maintains a higher level of precision in your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Assist someone in doing something

This alternative uses "assist" instead of "help", which provides a slightly more formal tone, and the structure is more concise.

Aid someone in accomplishing something

The word "aid" is used to indicate assistance, similar to "help", while "accomplishing" replaces "doing" to emphasize completion.

Support someone in their efforts

This phrase focuses on providing general support rather than directly helping with a specific action.

Lend a hand to someone to achieve something

This is an idiomatic expression that conveys the idea of offering assistance. It uses "achieve" in place of "do", suggesting a more significant outcome.

Facilitate someone's ability to do something

This alternative uses "facilitate", which implies making it easier for someone to do something. It's a more formal and professional term.

Enable someone to perform a task

"Enable" suggests providing the means or opportunity for someone to do something, rather than direct assistance.

Give someone a leg up to do something

This idiom suggests giving someone an advantage or boost to help them get started or make progress.

Offer assistance to someone so they can do something

This alternative is more descriptive, specifying the offering of assistance as the means to enable action.

Provide support to someone's endeavor

This phrase emphasizes backing someone's project or undertaking, rather than directly helping with a specific task.

Be of service to someone in completing something

This phrase expresses a willingness to help and uses "completing" in place of "doing" to focus on finishing a task.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "help someone to do something" to sound more formal?

You can use more formal alternatives such as "assist someone in doing something", "facilitate someone's ability to do something", or "aid someone in accomplishing something" depending on the context. These options elevate the register of your language.

Is it grammatically correct to omit 'to' in the phrase "help someone do something"?

While omitting "to" is common in informal speech, it's generally more grammatically correct and preferred in formal writing to include it: "help someone "to do" something."

What's the difference between "help someone to do something" and "help someone do something"?

The inclusion of "to" is often seen as more grammatically formal. While "help someone do something" is widely understood and used, "help someone "to do" something" adheres more strictly to traditional grammar rules.

When is it appropriate to use "help someone to do something"?

This phrase is appropriate in most contexts, from formal writing to casual conversation. However, in very informal settings, "help someone do something" might be more common, although the inclusion of "to" always maintains grammatical correctness.