Usage of "help"

[vishalc581]

Hello,

I was reading a question from link below:

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t1599.html

I want to confirm usage of help:

1) X helps Y to do
2) X helps (Verb in base form) ,......as in the link above.

I want to confirm about this 3rd usage:

3) X helps Y VERB-ing

Here I want to confirm whether we need a preposition before VERB-ing. I know VERB-ing cannot itself act as a main verb in a sentence.

Eg: Ron helps us in solving SC questions.


Thanks & Regards,
Vishal

[RonPurewal]

i think you forgot to write the letter 'y' in your #2.

read this:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... ml#p112994

[RonPurewal]

your #3 could be a thing, but its meaning would be different: basically, there are some 'people __ing', and you want to help them.
e.g.,
i want to help the people sleeping on the street.
--> there are some people sleeping on the street. i want to help them (by giving them shelter, or food, or money, or whatever).
quite clearly i'm not trying to help them sleep.

if you're trying to convey the meaning of #1 or #2—i.e., if '__ing' is actually the activity in which you want to assist—then #3 is not a valid way of conveying that idea.