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Interpretation of request

 
 
Reply Sun 26 Aug, 2018 09:29 pm
Where I live, when a school teacher tells his pupil, "Please help me these exercise books", the pupil will carry the books for the teacher on his own. The teacher does not carry any of the exercise books.

Do native speakers also interpret the teacher's request in the same way?

Thanks.
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roger
 
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Reply Sun 26 Aug, 2018 09:58 pm
@tanguatlay,
No. You would have to say "Please help me with these exercise books".

You could also use 'carry' instead of 'with'.
tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Aug, 2018 11:02 pm
@roger,
roger wrote:

No. You would have to say "Please help me with these exercise books".

You could also use 'carry' instead of 'with'.
Please help me carry these exercise books".

The above sentence is the same as mine. So, even an English native teacher lets the pupil carry the books himself. I thought with the word "help" in the request the teacher should also be carrying some of the exercise books.
Am I wrong?

Thanks.
roger
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Aug, 2018 11:32 pm
@tanguatlay,
I don't think your sentence included the word 'carry'. I could be wrong, of course.

You are right, though. "Help" does imply the teacher will be doing some of the work.
tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Aug, 2018 11:56 pm
@roger,
Thanks, Roger.

I don't think your sentence included the word 'carry'. I could be wrong, of course. (No. You're right. The word 'carry' was inadvertently left out.)

Am I right to say that the teacher should have said, "Please carry these exercise books for me", in which case, it is clear that the pupil will be carrying the books himself.
roger
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 12:56 am
@tanguatlay,
You are right. It is likely the student would know he or she would be doing all the work if the teacher said 'help', but your way does not allow for any misunderstanding.
tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 02:04 am
@roger,
roger wrote:

You are right. It is likely the student would know he or she would be doing all the work if the teacher said 'help', but your way does not allow for any misunderstanding.

Thanks, Roger.
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