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Let's/let us

 
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shuhuang



Joined: 09 Mar 2009
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2009 11:40 pm    Post subject: Let's/let us Reply with quote
Hi, teachers

What's the differnce between the following two sentences? "Let's not" go there. "Let us not" go there. If a tag question is needed, what will be added for each?

Thanks.
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dragn



Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
What's the differnce between the following two sentences? "Let's not" go there. "Let us not" go there.


The difference is that everybody says the first one, and nobody says the second one. I'm not trying to be a wise guy...that really is the only difference.

Quote:
If a tag question is needed, what will be added for each?


Use "Shall we?"

Let's not go there, shall we?

"Shall we?" is the tag question to use for any stem with "Let's" or "Let's not." I know this sounds confusing, and I suppose it is. However, in both cases, you're suggesting a course of action:

Let's dance, shall we?
(~Why don't we dance?)

Let's not go there, shall we?
(~Why don't we not go there?)

That's just what we say.

Greg
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LeBron



Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Posts: 103
PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am not a teacher, however I'd like to mention what I've learned.
That is, there's a tiny difference between "Let's not" and "Let us not". The more formal "Let us not" emphasizes the sentence a bit more than the colloquial "Let's not". Like in my introduction, where I said "I am not a teacher" to emphasize that fact.

Regards
LeBron
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shuhuang



Joined: 09 Mar 2009
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you all so much.
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dragn



Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
That is, there's a tiny difference between "Let's not" and "Let us not". The more formal "Let us not" emphasizes the sentence a bit more than the colloquial "Let's not".


LeBron is absolutely right. Very Happy We do indeed occasionally say "Let us..." or "Let us not..." We do this in a deliberate attempt to make something sound lofty, elevated or poetic. For example, preachers usually say "Let us pray." You're 100 percent right. However, I didn't say that we don't use "Let us..." or "Let us not..." at all.

What I mean is that there is nothing lofty, elevated or poetic about saying "Let's not go there," or its more common form "Don't go there." This is a very casual expression that only came into vogue in the U.S. in the mid to late 90s. It means that the speaker doesn't want to go into details about something that he or she has already made a point of mentioning because there's a story behind it that is too disgusting, salacious, etc. I mean nobody would say the sentence "Let us not go there."

So, LeBron is right, but the context of what is actually being said does come into play.

Greg
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shuhuang



Joined: 09 Mar 2009
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2009 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi, Greg

Thanks you so much for your detailed explanation.

So does it mean that when people say things like "let us not ...," they are in a way trying to be formal in style but also to put an end to that conversation?
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dragn



Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
So does it mean that when people say things like "let us not ...," they are in a way trying to be formal in style but also to put an end to that conversation?


That's hard to say. It is formal, yes—but whether it's meant to try to put an end to a conversation or not would have to depend on the context. It is possible, but I don't think you could just say that's true in general. There are simply too many possible contexts in which it might be used.

Greg
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CP



Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 2875
Location: California
PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2009 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
For what it is worth, you would probably hear these said this way:

Let us pray.
Let's eat.
Let us hope we never have a problem like that again.
Let's go fishing.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb
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