let go or let it go

Question

Could you please what difference does it make?"The dog was pulling so hard on his leash that I had to let (it) go."I think in here:"let go" means: loose rope."let it go" means: let the dog go

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Could you please what difference does it make?
"The dog was pulling so hard on his leash that I had to let (it) go."

I think in here:
"let go" means: loose rope. Yes, release the leash..

"let it go" means: let the dog go No.
In terms of grammar. the closest suitable noun is 'leash'. In addition, the writer, having said 'his', is likely to refer to the dog as 'him', not 'it'.

In terms of actual experience, I know (

trust me!

) that it would normally mean the leash.

Clive

you said

USF · Answer

Thank you Clive. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/> So both mean the same. I see "let go" without any pronoun or noun, unlike other phrasal verbs. Is it gradually omitted by passing times? And is it formal without a pronoun?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

So both mean the same. I see "let go" without any pronoun or noun, unlike other phrasal verbs.

Is it gradually omitted by passing times? Don't know. I've heard it all my life.

And is it formal without a pronoun? I don't think of it as solely informal.

eg
Tom pulled on the rope.
Then he let go.
Then he let it go.
Then he let go of it.

Clive

USF · Answer

Thanks Clive. For both your help and time. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

let go or let it go

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions