ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbverb
AssistvsAttend
"Assist" means to help; "attend" means to be present at an event or place.
Side-by-side comparison
Assist
verb"Assist" means "to help". Do not use it to say you are going to an event: in English that is "attend", not "assist". A very common mistake among Spanish speakers.
The nurse assisted the doctor during the procedure.
Can you assist me with these heavy boxes?
The program is designed to assist small business owners.
Attend
verb"Attend" means "to go to" or "to be present at" an event, class, or meeting. It does not imply helping anyone. Exact equivalent of the Spanish "asistir a".
Over five hundred people attended the conference.
She was unable to attend the meeting because of a family emergency.
All students are required to attend at least eighty percent of classes.
Common mistake
- •The most direct false friend for Spanish speakers: "I assisted to the meeting" is wrong.
- •In Spanish "asistir a" = "attend" in English.
- •"Assist" in English = to help, not to be present.
Trick to remember it
- •Did you go to an event or be present? Use "attend".
- •Did you help someone with something? Use "assist".
- •An "assistant" in English is a helper, not someone who attends things.
Quick rule
"Assist" = to help. "Attend" = to be present at, to go to. Spanish "asistir a" = English "attend".
Did you know?
"Attendance" (presence, turnout) vs "assistance" (help), the two nouns reinforce the difference. And "attendant" = a person who serves at a location: "flight attendant", "parking attendant". They are not someone who helps in the sense of "assist", they are someone whose job is to be present and serve visitors.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She couldn't _____ the school play because she had a doctor's appointment.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Could you _____ me with my bags? They're quite heavy.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
LibraryvsBookstore
'Library' is where you borrow books; 'bookstore' is where you buy them.
SensiblevsSensitive
'Sensible' in English does not mean what 'sensible' means in Spanish.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy