Can an infinitive replace a comma in a conditional sentence: "If you need help to call somebody."

Question

Are these two sentences the same sentences in meaning?

1. If you need help, call somebody.
2. If you need help to call somebody.

I want to know whether these two sentences are the same sentences in meaning. Please, help me.

Answer 1

If you need help to call somebody.

this sentence is indeed only a fragment of a full sentence.

Compare:

I need help to find a telephone. (What kind of help do I need? For what reason do I need help?)
I need help to find a car. (I cannot find a car on my own)
I need help to call somebody. (I cannot call somebody on my own. In order to call somebody, I must be helped by someone or something)

You can disassemble the first sentence in this way:

If you need help, call somebody. ->
Do you need help? Call somebody! (roughly the same meaning)

But you cannot disassemble the second (incomplete) sentence in a similar way:

If you need help to call somebody. ->
Do you need help? To call somebody! (very weird-looking combination of sentences)

"Call somebody!" is an imperative sentence - it could be a command or a request, and in combination with an if-clause we can have a conditional sentence:

If you need help, call somebody"

"To call somebody!" is just an exclamation when used on its own. It does not work as an imperative sentence. And when used in a bigger sentence, it becomes an infinitive clause, which also cannot work as a command or request, so we cannot use it as an apodosis in a conditional sentence.