Cats are carnivorous mammals of the family Felidae. They cannot chew their food, and their teeth are adapted to stab, anchor, and cut flesh. All cats except the cheetah have strong, sharp retractile claws, They are not adapted for long chases but prowl their prey on padded feet and try to overwhelm it in short dash or pounce. Big cats roam over a large area, usually alone but sometimes in family groups, for example, a pride of lions can contain as many as 37 groups, for example, a pride of lions can contain as many as 37 individuals. Cats generally are nocturnal animals, the retina of their eyes made extra sensitive to light by a layer of guanine, which causes the eyes to shine in the dark. Tigers are the largest of the cats. They are identified by their characteristic striped coat. They inhabit forests and grasslands in Asia where the population has suffered from hunting, deforestation, and demand for tiger parts in traditional medicines. 

'retractile claws' in the passage means _____ .

Created: 2 years ago | Updated: 2 years ago

After help, we can use object + infinitive (with or without to).

Can you help me (to) find my ring? (NOT Can you help me finding my ring?)
Thank you so much for helping us (to) repair the car.
Our main task is to help the company (to) become profitable.

Help can also be followed directly by an infinitive without an object.

Would you like to help pack?

If you say that you cannot/can’t help doing something (especially in British English), you mean that you can’t stop yourself, even if you don’t want to do it.

She’s a selfish woman, but somehow you can’t help liking her.
Excuse me – I couldn’t help overhearing what you said.
Sorry I broke the cup – I couldn’t help it.

Can’t help can be followed by but + infinitive (without to), with the same meaning as can’t help verb + ing. This is common in American English.

I can’t help but wonder what I should do next.

 

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