Levels of Distractibility: Who cares? = *. Some people will be distracted from your meaning: = **. Many people will be distracted from your meaning: = ***.
Question: What's wrong with "I can't help but wonder."
Answer: Double negative, "can't" and "but." You should say, "I can't help wondering."
Rating of Distractibility: ***. Not only is "can't help but" a double negative, a grammatical "mistake," but "can't help wondering" flows. What's wrong with double negatives? They often confuse meaning. If you find a sentence with a double negative, you will almost certainly have to re-read it to make sure of the meaning. And having to re-read the sentence interrupts the flow of thought. RayS.
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