Questions & Answers about Lütfen bu masayı ölçmek için bana yardım edin.
Why is there an '-yı' at the end of 'masayı'?
The ending -(y)ı is the accusative case, which marks a specific direct object. Because we are talking about a specific table (bu masa / this table) that receives the action of being measured, it needs this ending. The y is a buffer letter to separate the two vowels.
Why do we use 'için' after 'ölçmek'? Doesn't the English translation just say 'to measure'?
In English, we often just say 'to do something' when we mean 'in order to do something'. In Turkish, to express this kind of purpose, you combine the full dictionary form of the verb (ölçmek) with the word için. So ölçmek için literally translates to 'in order to measure'.
In English we say 'help me,' so why does the Turkish sentence use 'bana' (to me) instead of 'beni' (me)?
Different verbs require different grammatical cases in Turkish. The compound verb yardım etmek (to help) always takes the dative case (the 'to/towards' ending). Think of it as 'giving help to someone.' Therefore, you must use bana (to me) rather than the direct object form beni (me).
How is 'yardım edin' different from just saying 'yardım et'?