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§āĻĻāĻāĻŋ ‘āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŦā§ āĻ¨āĻž’ āĻāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻāĻā§āĻāĻ¨āĨ¤ ‘āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯’ āĻāĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ āĻā§āĻˇāĻŽ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻž āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻļāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨āĻ¸āĻŋāĻ āĻā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻšāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĨ¤
Here are some examples:
āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻ:
“I can’t help thinking about it.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can’t help shopping so much.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻāĻžāĻāĻž āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can’t help working all the time.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŦ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can’t help smiling when I see her.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻā§ āĻšāĻžāĻ¸āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can’t help eating so much.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can’t help loving you.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻ˛āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can not help biting my nails when I am nervous.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻāĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻžāĻ°ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¸ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ¨āĻ āĻāĻžāĻŽāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I can not help smoking when I have been drinking.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻāĻ¨ āĻŽāĻĻā§āĻ¯āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻĒāĻžāĻ¨āĻā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I cannot help feeling so sad.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ¤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ āĻŦā§āĻ§ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I cannot help remembering the things you did.”
“āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻž āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ°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.
‘āĻāĻŋāĻ˛’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻ° āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĻ¨, āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĨ¤ ‘āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻļ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ āĻĻāĻāĻ˛ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĨ¤
Here are some examples:
āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻ:
“I was busy thinking.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy working.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy cooking dinner.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ° āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy talking on the phone.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy cleaning the house.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻˇā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy studying for my test.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻˇāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy thinking of ideas for our website.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻ¨āĻž āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy entertaining our neighbors.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻŦā§āĻļā§āĻĻā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻ¨ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy completing my housework.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”
“I was busy learning new things.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¨āĻ¤ā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛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’-āĻā§ ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ’-āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ ‘āĻāĻāĻ¨’ āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨āĨ¤
Here are some examples:
āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖāĻ
"I am busy working."
"āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤"
"I am busy cooking dinner."
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ° āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”
“I am busy studying for my test.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻˇāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”
“I am busy completing housework.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”
“I am busy talking on the phone.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ¤ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤”