Help Improve vs. Help to Improve – Which is Correct?
Both forms are grammatically correct: “help improve” and “help to improve.” The version without to is more common and concise, while the version with to is also standard, especially in formal or deliberate phrasing. Use either, but avoid “help improving” after help in this construction in modern American use today.
Help improve or help to improve – Which is Correct?
Help improve and help to improve are both correct forms in standard American English. They have the same basic meaning: to contribute to an improvement or make improvement easier. The main difference is style and frequency.
In everyday American English, help improve is usually more common and slightly more direct. The form help to improve is also grammatical and may sound more formal, careful, or deliberate. The difference is not one of meaning or correctness.
After help, English allows either a bare infinitive, such as improve, or a full infinitive beginning with to, such as to improve. This pattern also applies to other verbs: help reduce costs and help to reduce costs are both acceptable.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the “to test”: remove to from help to improve. If the sentence still sounds natural, both versions are possible. For example, “This guide will help to improve your writing” becomes “This guide will help improve your writing,” which is equally correct and usually more concise.
Remember that help can be followed directly by a verb or by to plus a verb. However, do not normally use help improving when you mean “help make something better.” Use help improve, help to improve, or help with improving, depending on the sentence.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| help improve | Verb phrase | Make improvement easier or contribute to improvement | Regular practice can help improve your pronunciation. |
| help to improve | Verb phrase | Make improvement easier or contribute to improvement | Regular practice can help to improve your pronunciation. |
How to Use Help Improve
Use help improve when help is followed directly by the base form of another verb. This construction is concise, natural, and especially common in conversation, business writing, instructions, advertising, and general American English.
The subject of help may be a person, organization, tool, habit, or event. The phrase can describe assistance with skills, performance, health, efficiency, relationships, or any other type of improvement.
Example 1: Reading widely can help improve your vocabulary.
Example 2: The software update should help improve the device’s security.
Example 3: A short break may help improve your concentration.
Etymology of the phrase help improve
Help comes from Old English helpan, meaning to aid, assist, or support. Improve entered English through Anglo-French and Middle English forms related to making something better or more valuable. The modern phrase combines the verb help with a bare infinitive, a construction that has long been established in English.
How to Use Help to Improve
Use help to improve when help is followed by the full infinitive to improve. This form is completely standard and has the same core meaning as help improve. It can sound slightly more formal, measured, or explicit, although the distinction is subtle.
Writers sometimes choose help to improve for rhythm, emphasis, or consistency with nearby infinitive constructions. It is also common in formal reports, academic writing, policy documents, and carefully edited prose.
Example 1: The new training program will help to improve workplace safety.
Example 2: These changes are designed to help to improve access to public transportation.
Example 3: Better planning can help to improve the quality of the final results.
Etymology of the phrase help to improve
The phrase help to improve uses the same historical verbs as help improve. The word to developed from Old English to, which marked direction and later became an important marker of the English infinitive. Both infinitive patterns developed naturally in English and remain grammatical today.
Related Concepts
Understanding infinitives and verb patterns makes the choice between help improve and help to improve easier.
- Bare infinitive: A bare infinitive is the base form of a verb without to, as in improve in “This exercise can help improve balance.” After help, this form is standard.
- Full infinitive: A full infinitive consists of to plus the base verb, as in to improve. The phrase “help to improve” uses this form.
- Verb complementation: Verb complementation describes the grammatical structure that follows a verb. The verb help can take either a bare infinitive or a full infinitive.
- Gerunds: A gerund is an -ing form used as a noun or after certain expressions. Use “help with improving” when improving follows the preposition with; do not automatically replace the infinitive with “help improving.”
Examples from Media and Literature
Both forms appear in edited writing and everyday communication. The following examples represent common uses in different media and literary contexts:
- News reporting: “Officials say the revised policy could help improve emergency response times.” The shorter form is common in headlines and news reports because it is concise.
- Health and science writing: “The study examined whether regular exercise could help to improve sleep quality.” The version with to fits naturally in formal explanatory prose.
- Business communication: “The new customer-feedback system should help improve service.” This direct form is frequent in workplace writing.
- Instructional writing: “These editing techniques can help to improve the clarity of your argument.” The full infinitive gives the sentence a formal, instructional tone.
- Fictional dialogue: “Maybe this will help improve things between us.” In dialogue, the shorter form often sounds more conversational and natural.
Help Improve Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Enhance | To increase quality, value, effectiveness, or attractiveness |
| Improve | To make something better |
| Boost | To increase or strengthen something, often quickly or noticeably |
| Advance | To promote progress or development |
| Strengthen | To make something stronger, more effective, or more stable |
Help to Improve Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Contribute to improving | To play a part in making something better |
| Assist in improving | To provide support that leads to improvement |
| Facilitate improvement | To make improvement easier or more achievable |
| Promote progress | To encourage development or forward movement |
| Make better | To improve the quality, condition, or effectiveness of something |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “help improve” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Help improve” is grammatically correct, natural, and very common in American English. It uses help followed by a bare infinitive.
Question 2: Is “help to improve” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Help to improve” is also grammatically correct and has the same basic meaning as “help improve.” It may sound slightly more formal or deliberate, but it is not incorrect.
Question 3: Which is more common: “help improve” or “help to improve”?
“Help improve” is generally more common, particularly in conversational, business, and concise informational writing. “Help to improve” remains standard and may be preferred for rhythm or a more formal tone.
Question 4: Can I say “help improving”?
Usually, use “help improve” or “help to improve” when a direct verb follows help. Use “help with improving” when improving follows the preposition with, as in “This tool can help with improving accuracy.”
Question 5: Do “help improve” and “help to improve” have different meanings?
No. In most sentences, they communicate the same idea. The main difference is that “help improve” is shorter and more frequent, while “help to improve” can sound more formal or emphatic.
Conclusion
Help improve and help to improve are both correct. Choose help improve for a concise, natural style, especially in everyday and business communication. Choose help to improve when it better suits the rhythm or formality of your sentence. Pro Tip: Knowing that both forms are acceptable helps you write with confidence and avoid unnecessary corrections that could undermine your professional reputation.
