Spoken English

Use of I can’t help + (verb-ing) & I was busy + (verb-ing); Day:15

I can’t help + (verb-ing)

The word ‘can’t’ is contraction for ‘cannot.’ Combined with ‘help’ you are communicating something you are unable to control or having a hard time gaining a grasp for. This can be a physical or mental action.

‘āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŦā§‡ āĻ¨āĻž’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻŸāĻŋ ‘āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŦā§‡ āĻ¨āĻž’ āĻāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻ‚āĻ•ā§‹āĻšāĻ¨āĨ¤ ‘āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯’ āĻāĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§‡ āĻāĻ•āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ¯ā§‹āĻ—āĻžāĻ¯ā§‹āĻ— āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŖ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ…āĻ•ā§āĻˇāĻŽ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ…āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻž āĻšāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤ āĻāĻŸāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻļāĻžāĻ°ā§€āĻ°āĻŋāĻ• āĻŦāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨āĻ¸āĻŋāĻ• āĻ•ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻšāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§‡āĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻƒ:

“I can’t help thinking about it.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŸāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ•ā§‡ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help shopping so much.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻ•ā§‡āĻ¨āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻŸāĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help working all the time.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŦ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help smiling when I see her.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻĻā§‡āĻ–ā§‡ āĻšāĻžāĻ¸āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help eating so much.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻ–ā§‡āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help loving you.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤ā§‹āĻŽāĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻ­āĻžāĻ˛āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can not help biting my nails when I am nervous.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻ–āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­āĻžāĻ¸ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻŋ āĻ¤āĻ–āĻ¨ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ¨āĻ– āĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I can not help smoking when I have been drinking.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻ–āĻ¨ āĻŽāĻĻā§āĻ¯āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ¤āĻ–āĻ¨ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ§ā§‚āĻŽāĻĒāĻžāĻ¨āĻ•ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I cannot help feeling so sad.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻĻā§āĻƒāĻ– āĻŦā§‹āĻ§ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I cannot help remembering the things you did.”

“āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻž āĻŽāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ°āĻžāĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

I was busy + (verb-ing)

When using the word ‘was’, you are referring to something in a past tense, or something that happened before. Combining it with the word ‘busy’ you can express something that was occupying you in a past time.

‘āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻŸāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§‡āĻ– āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨, āĻŦāĻž āĻ†āĻ—ā§‡ āĻ˜āĻŸā§‡āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§āĨ¤ ‘āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§‡ āĻāĻŸāĻŋāĻ•ā§‡ āĻāĻ•āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ•āĻžāĻļ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻĻāĻ–āĻ˛ āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻƒ:

“I was busy thinking.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy working.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻœā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy cooking dinner.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§‡āĻ° āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ° āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy talking on the phone.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§‹āĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy cleaning the house.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ˜āĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy studying for my test.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§€āĻ•ā§āĻˇāĻžāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§‹āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy thinking of ideas for our website.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧā§‡āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻ‡āĻŸā§‡āĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻ¨āĻž āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy entertaining our neighbors.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻŦā§‡āĻļā§€āĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§‹āĻĻāĻ¨ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy completing my housework.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻļā§‡āĻˇ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy learning new things.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¨āĻ¤ā§āĻ¨ āĻœāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

By changing ‘was’ to ‘am’ you change your message from past tense to present tense and refer to something you are doing ‘now.’

‘āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ’-āĻ•ā§‡ ‘āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ’-āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻĨā§‡āĻ•ā§‡ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ ‘āĻāĻ–āĻ¨’ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§‡āĻ– āĻ•āĻ°ā§āĻ¨āĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻƒ

"I am busy working."
"āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻœā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤"

"I am busy cooking dinner."

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§‡āĻ° āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ° āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”

“I am busy studying for my test.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§€āĻ•ā§āĻˇāĻžāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§‹āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”

“I am busy completing housework.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻļā§‡āĻˇ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”

“I am busy talking on the phone.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§‹āĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”