it helps preventing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it helps preventing" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form should be "it helps to prevent" or "it helps prevent." Example: "Regular exercise helps to prevent various health issues."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

On the other hand, a hard acrylic resin stabilization splint may be helpful in patients with tooth grinding, because it helps preventing the unwanted consequence of sleep bruxism [ 40], such as tooth wear (attrition), tooth grinding sounds, and – often – associated pain [ 41].

BMC Oral Health

In our design, an incompressible liquid, i.e., glycerin, is used as the working fluid since it helps preventing membrane deformation at rest state, due to the weight of culture medium.

ROBOMECH Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It helps prevent wars".

Independent

"It helps prevent shin splints," Crutchfield said.

The New York Times - Sports

It makes the wall more interesting, and it helps prevent the buildup of pests and diseases.

The New York Times

It helps prevent the album from being swallowed by interiority, or tapering off into sameness.

The New York Times - Arts

And experts believe it helps prevent cancer, in part, by dampening an immune response called inflammation.

The New York Times

The consensus among AIDS experts is that treatment not only helps the individual, it helps prevent spread of the disease.

The New York Times

It helps prevent bladder infection, it has a lot of vitamin C and it also has antioxidants".

The New York Times - Food

"Other studies suggest that estrogen has a protective effect against heart disease because it helps prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

University of California, Berkeley

Nitrogen finds application in the metals industry in welding, soldering, and brazing, where it helps prevent oxidation, carburization, and decarburization.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing formally, consider using alternatives such as "it assists in preventing" or "it plays a role in preventing" for increased sophistication.

Common error

Avoid using the gerund form (verb ending in -ing) directly after "helps". The correct forms are "helps + base verb" (e.g., "it helps prevent") or "helps + to + base verb" (e.g., "it helps to prevent").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it helps preventing" attempts to describe the beneficial effect of something in averting a particular outcome. However, this construction is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI identifies the correct forms as either "it helps prevent" or "it helps to prevent".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it helps preventing" appears in some contexts, it is considered grammatically incorrect. Standard English dictates the use of "it helps prevent" or "it helps to prevent". Ludwig AI highlights this grammatical issue, and using the correct forms will ensure clarity and credibility in your writing. While alternative phrases exist, such as "it aids in preventing", paying attention to the grammatical correctness of the base phrase is crucial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it aids in preventing

Uses 'aids' instead of 'helps', offering a more formal tone, but still uses the gerund 'preventing'.

it assists in preventing

Similar to 'aids in preventing', but uses 'assists', conveying a slightly different nuance of support, while retaining the 'preventing' gerund form.

it is useful for preventing

Shifts the focus to the utility of something in preventing, rather than direct assistance. It also retains the 'preventing' gerund form.

it is instrumental in preventing

Emphasizes the importance of something in the prevention process, using 'instrumental' to highlight its key role, but still using the gerund 'preventing'.

it plays a role in preventing

Indicates that something contributes to the prevention effort, without being the sole factor and uses the gerund 'preventing'.

it contributes to preventing

Highlights the contributory nature of something towards prevention, emphasizing its part in a larger effort and using the gerund 'preventing'.

it is conducive to preventing

Implies that something creates favorable conditions for prevention. This alternative is more formal and still uses the gerund 'preventing'.

it facilitates prevention of

Focuses on easing or enabling the act of prevention, using a more direct noun form 'prevention'.

it helps to avert

Uses a different verb ('avert') to mean 'prevent', adding a slight nuance of avoiding something imminent and using the infinitive form of the verb.

it mitigates against

Suggests a lessening of the negative effects, with a focus on reducing the impact rather than complete prevention. It's a more formal alternative and uses 'against'.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "it helps preventing"?

The grammatically correct ways to express this idea are "it helps prevent" or "it helps to prevent". For example, "Exercise helps prevent heart disease" or "Exercise helps to prevent heart disease".

Are there other ways to say "it helps prevent"?

Yes, you can use alternatives such as "it aids in preventing", "it assists in preventing", or "it contributes to preventing" depending on the context.

Why is "it helps preventing" considered incorrect?

In standard English grammar, the verb "help" is followed by the base form of another verb (without "to") or by "to + base form". The gerund form (verb ending in -ing) is not typically used directly after "helps".

What's the difference between "it helps prevent" and "it helps to prevent"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and have essentially the same meaning. The use of "to" is optional in this construction, so you can use either "it helps prevent" or "it helps to prevent" without changing the meaning.