Modern societies deny men and women the experience of solidarity, which football provides to the point of collective delirium. Most car mechanics ans shop assistants feel shut out by high culture; but once a week they bear witness to display of sublime artistry by men for whom the word genius is sometimes no mere hype. Like a jazz band or drama company, football blends dazzling individual talent with selfless teamwork, thus solving a problem over which sociologists have long agonized. Cooperation and competition are cunningly balanced. Blind loyalty and internecine rivalry gratify some of our most powerful evolutionary instincts. The game also mixes glamour with ordinariness in suvtle proportion: players are hero- worshipped, but one reason you revere them is because they are alter egos,who could easily be you.
In the society what have sociologists cherished for a long time?
After help, we can use object + infinitive (with or without to).
| Can you help me (to) find my ring? (NOT | |
| 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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