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.

‘āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŦ⧇ āύāĻž’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϟāĻŋ ‘āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŦ⧇ āύāĻž’ āĻāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύāĨ¤ ‘āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ’ āĻāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻāĻ•āĻ¤ā§āϰāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āϝ⧋āĻ—āĻžāϝ⧋āĻ— āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύ āϝāĻž āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§āϰāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻ…āĻ•ā§āώāĻŽ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦ⧁āĻāϤ⧇ āĻ…āϏ⧁āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āĻšāĻšā§āϛ⧇āĨ¤ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻļāĻžāϰ⧀āϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻŦāĻž āĻŽāĻžāύāϏāĻŋāĻ• āĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖāσ:

“I can’t help thinking about it.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϟāĻŋ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āϚāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help shopping so much.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϤ āϕ⧇āύāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help working all the time.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

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

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āϖ⧇ āĻšāĻžāϏāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help eating so much.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϤ āϖ⧇āϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I can’t help loving you.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻ­āĻžāϞāĻŦāĻžāϏāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

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

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻ–āύ āύāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­āĻžāϏ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻŋ āϤāĻ–āύ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āύāĻ– āĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

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

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻ–āύ āĻŽāĻĻā§āϝāĻĒāĻžāύ āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋ āϤāĻ–āύ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϧ⧂āĻŽāĻĒāĻžāύāϕ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I cannot help feeling so sad.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϤ āĻĻ⧁āσāĻ– āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

“I cannot help remembering the things you did.”

“āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύ āϤāĻž āĻŽāύ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–āϤ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”

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›āĻŋāϞ’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ, āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ…āϤ⧀āϤ āĻ•āĻžāϞ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āωāĻ˛ā§āϞ⧇āĻ– āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύ, āĻŦāĻž āφāϗ⧇ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁āĨ¤ ‘āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ’ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻāϟāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻāĻ•āĻ¤ā§āϰāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ•āĻžāĻļ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ āϝāĻž āĻ…āϤ⧀āϤ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻĻāĻ–āϞ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖāσ:

“I was busy thinking.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϚāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy working.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻœā§‡ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy cooking dinner.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϰāĻžāϤ⧇āϰ āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰ āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āύāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy talking on the phone.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§‹āύ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy cleaning the house.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϘāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy studying for my test.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ⧀āĻ•ā§āώāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§‹āύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

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

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻ“āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻŦāϏāĻžāχāĻŸā§‡āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϧāĻžāϰāύāĻž āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy entertaining our neighbors.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļā§€āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻŋāύ⧋āĻĻāύ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy completing my housework.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

“I was busy learning new things.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āύāϤ⧁āύ āϜāĻŋāύāĻŋāϏ āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤”

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

‘āĻšāϝāĻŧ’-āϕ⧇ ‘āφāĻŽāĻŋ’-āϤ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻ…āϤ⧀āϤ āĻ•āĻžāϞ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ ‘āĻāĻ–āύ’ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āωāĻ˛ā§āϞ⧇āĻ– āĻ•āϰ⧁āύāĨ¤

Here are some examples:

āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖāσ

"I am busy working."
"āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻœā§‡ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤"

"I am busy cooking dinner."

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϰāĻžāϤ⧇āϰ āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰ āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āύāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤”

“I am busy studying for my test.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ⧀āĻ•ā§āώāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻļā§‹āύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤”

“I am busy completing housework.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤”

“I am busy talking on the phone.”

“āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĢā§‹āύ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ¸ā§āϤāĨ¤”