assistance

Everyday

1. Assistance is help or support given to someone. tree →
2. Assistance is often a formal word for help from a service, like medical assistance. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety it is used on signs and in announcements: «Do you need assistance?», «call for assistance», «roadside assistance». In school, pupils who need extra help get assistance from a teaching assistant. In stories, a hero comes to someone's assistance.

Examples

• Can I be of any assistance? tree →
• Call the lifeguard for assistance. tree →
• The lady needed assistance with her heavy bags. tree →
• A teaching assistant gives us assistance with reading. tree →
• The firefighters came to our assistance quickly. tree →
• Press this button if you need assistance. tree →
• Give assistance, not advice, in a crisis. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some assistance», not «an assistance» or «assistances». It is more formal than «help». The person who helps is an assistant (spelled -ant); the help itself is assistance (spelled -ance). Verb: assist.