The chunks of English (5): can't help ____ing

Some of you may know an old song that goes like this:

I think this song was originally performed by Elvis Presley but I could be wrong. Anyway,the song contains a very useful phrase: I can't help (fall)ing (in love). 

Let's look at another example:

• When Bob shaved his beard off, I thought he looked so funny. I tried to keep a straight face, but I couldn't help laughing.

QUESTION: Did the speaker laugh?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Did the speaker want to laugh?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: So, why did she laugh?
ANSWER: Because she couldn't control her feelings. It was impossible not to laugh.

We often use the frame, can't/couldn't help _____ing, with verbs connected with thoughts and feelings like: notice, feel, think, wonder, If we say, for example, I couldn't help crying, it means something like: (1) I didn't want to cry, but (2) it was impossible for me not to cry.

EXAMPLES:

• When I listen to some of these old songs I just can't help crying. They bring back so many memories.
• He seemed like a nice guy, but I couldn't help feeling there's something strange about him.
• She broke off her engagement to Philip 6 months ago, but she still can't help thinking about him every day.

We can also use it with actions like crying, laughing, sneezing, yawning that we might want to control but can't:


• The professor's lecture was so boring, I just couldn't help yawning.

Notes:

1. The adverb, just, often appears before  can't help.
2.  A similar structure to can't help ___ing is can't help but:
   - He looked so funny, I couldn't help but laugh.

Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing...


Let's imagine you're sitting in a bar and two people on the next table are talking about a particular subject. You are interested in the subject and want to say something to them.  Here's a possible way to start:

• Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing what you were saying about English collocations. Are you a language teacher?

Of course, listening to someone else's conversation is not usually considered polite, so be careful when you use phrases like these. I couldn't help noticing is used in a similar way:

• Excuse me, but I couldn't help noticing that tattoo on your arm. Were you in the navy?

I can't help it


I can't/ couldn't help it can be used in situations like these:


1. You shouldn't drink so much of that beer. It's not good for you.
   
2. I know, but I just can't help it. It's so nice!
   
1. Why did you give that money to the child?
   
2. I couldn't help it - he looked so sad and hungry.
   
1. I wish that baby would stop crying.
2. Oh, come on. All babies cry - they can't help it.
• In the first example, B knows he should drink less, but finds it difficult.
• In the second example, B felt sorry for the child and would have felt bad if she hadn't given him money.
  
• In the third example, B says that it's natural for babies to cry. They can't stop themselves from crying.

Exercise

Fill the blanks below with a suitable word:


1. I can't help ____________ angry at the way George speaks to his mother.
2. Movies don't usually make me ________, but that final scene was so sad, I just couldn't help it.
   
3. (On the way to the airport) I've got my passport, my ticket, my money, but I can't help __________ I've forgotten something.
4. Excuse me, I couldn't help ____________ what you just said about my sister. I think you should go over to her and apologise.
5. Every time I walk past that old house, I can't help __________ what happened to that nice family who used to live there.
   

After you've done the exercise, click here to check your answers.

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Bob's One-Point Weekly Lesson Archive

© Robert E. Jones, 2006