ENGLISH
REFERENCE

help out

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford General-service Informal

phr. v.. to assist someone, especially by doing a specific task or giving them some of your time.

phr. v.. to provide assistance to someone in a way that alleviates a burden or completes a specific task; often implies a helpful but non-essential contribution.


SIMPLE

My brother helped out with the dishes after dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

When the shop got busy, the manager asked the warehouse staff to help out at the tills.

COMPLEX

Local volunteers helped out during the flood recovery, providing essential supplies to families whose homes had been severely damaged.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
help (+ object) + out (+ with + task)
Usage

can be used without an object or with 'with' to specify the task.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'help' (general); 'help out' often suggests helping in a difficult situation or sharing a workload.

Pitfall

He helped out me with my homework.He helped me out with my homework.when using a pronoun like 'me', it must come between 'help' and 'out'.

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