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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:46 am Post subject: Grammar:"I will help fight diseases" |
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Well normally one would say:
I will help to fight diseases
or
I will help fighting diseases
Why is then "I will help fight diseases" correct. |
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cbclark4

Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Location: Masan
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:20 am Post subject: |
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Should that be: "I will help fighting with diseases."?
Or maybe: "I will help fighting against diseases."?
"Only you can prevent forest fires."
My favorite: "Disease Highting."
Hint: Fight is both a verb and a noun
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight
Last edited by cbclark4 on Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jkelly80

Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:21 am Post subject: |
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I'm not sure that "help" is a modal verb, like "can" "might" "should" etc. So you'd have to say "I will help with (maybe "in") fighting (or fight) diseases". If it IS a modal, then "help fight" and "help fighting" are both correct. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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It's a strange sentence anyway.
It makes sense if someone had said beforehand:
You won't help fight diseases?
and then you replied with;
I will help fight diseases.
On its own, it just seems weird,
but the structure is fine.
Compare:
I will help fight crime.
I will help fight ignorance.
I will help fight racism. |
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drunkenfud

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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Going by the examples above, wouldn't "I will help fight disease" be correct? It definitely sounds better in the singular, just as "I will help fight crimes" sounds clumsier than "I will help fight crime". |
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