idiom · neutral

can't help but + V

Band 6-7speakingtask2

used to say that someone cannot prevent themselves from doing something; cannot avoid doing

Examples

“I can't help but laugh when I watch that comedy sketch.”

“She can't help but worry about the exam results.”

“Sometimes I can't help but compare my work with others'.”

Band 8 sentence

“Even after reading the statistics, I can't help but feel optimistic about the future of renewable energy.”

Collocations

  • can't help but + laugh/feel/wonder

Word family

can't help but + V idiomcan't help + V-ing idiom (alternative)

Common mistakes

I can't help but laughing at that joke.→I can't help but laugh at that joke.

I can't help laughing but.→I can't help laughing.

Say it for a higher band

5can't help + V-ing (used but mixed forms)→6can't help + V-ing→7+can't help but + V

Synonyms

can't help + V-ing

Easily confused

can't help + V-ing

“I can't help laughing when I see that video.”

Related words

look forward to + V-ingtry + V-ing / try to + Vfor + somebody + to + Vavoid + V-ingbe likely to + Vbegin / start + V-ing / to + Vprevent + somebody + from + V-ingturn out + to + V

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In Gerunds & infinitives

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