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Given the sentence
My father helped me [doing/do] my homework.
I had learned that the preposition "to" can optionally follow the verb "help". However, the solution to my exercise says that the above sentence should correctly be:
My father helped me doing my homework.
Instead of:
My father helped me do my homework.
Could someone please explain to me why is that?
My father helped me do my homework.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to is indeed optional with an infinitie after help, so this sentence is correct. As a native English speaker, I would say that it is informal to omit the to.
My father helped me doing my homework.
There is no reference to using help with a gerund or participle doing, and it certainly does not sound natural to me.
The only other possibility that would sound natural is:
My father helped me with my homework.
