This paper argues that the verb
help has the function of a semi-auxiliary. When the verb
help is followed by an infinitive, it appears in four sentence types, as shown in (i)-(iv) below.
(i) John
helped Mary to wash the dishes.
(ii) John
helped Mary wash the dishes.
(iii) John
helped to wash the dishes.
(iv) John
helped wash the dishes. In the types (iii) and (iv), we sometimes find a sentence in which the subject of
help is identical with the implicit infinitival subject not only in Present-day but also in earlier English. This usage of
help satisfies Kajita's (1968) defining characteristics of a semi-auxiliary. In the sentence where
help has developed the function of a semi-auxiliary, it is suggested that the central meaning of
help ‘to aid, to assist’ has changed to the marginal meaning ‘to serve’.
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