English UsageComparison guide

Help Someone Do vs. Help Someone To Do

When help means make an action easier, standard English allows help + person + bare infinitive and help + person + to-infinitive. The two infinitive patterns are alternatives here; a direct -ing complement is not the corresponding pattern.

Reviewed2026-09-28Evidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage

Quick answer

Both “help someone do something” and “help someone to do something” are standard. Do not replace either with “help someone doing something” for this meaning.

Key details

Confusion Familygrammar-and-usage distinction

Rule Familyverb-complement and object pattern

TermsHelp Someone Do, Help Someone To Do

Choose the right form

Decision table for Help Someone Do vs. Help Someone To Do
Meaning / situation	Form / construction	Decision
assist a person in performing an action	help + person + bare infinitive	Standard.
assist a person in performing an action	help + person + to-infinitive	Also standard.
proposed direct -ing equivalent	help + person + doing	Do not treat this as the corresponding infinitive pattern for this meaning.

Quick tests

Meaning / construction test

Do you mean making an action easier for the person?

If yes: Use either “help someone do” or “help someone to do.”

If no: Choose another construction if the intended meaning is different.

Caveat: The two infinitive forms are alternatives in this construction; other uses of “help” may have different complements.

Examples

Example

She helped me carry the boxes.

The bare infinitive is standard after the person object.

Example

She helped me to carry the boxes.

The to-infinitive is also standard.

Example

The checklist helps users avoid common errors.

The object plus bare infinitive pattern is standard.

Further guidance

Boundary

The -ing form is not the corresponding action complement in this construction; “help someone with something” is a separate standard option.

Construction

Cambridge documents help + person + infinitive with or without “to” when help means make an action easier.

Decision

Use either bare infinitive or to-infinitive after the person object; choose with + noun when that better expresses the help provided.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

Word patterns: help — English Grammar Today (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Help + person + infinitive, with or without to; -ing is not the action complement in this sense

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