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Diego Simão Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

The difference between Let us and Let's.

I am not very sure about the difference between these two words.

I looked them up in Oxford and Longman Dic, they also said that let's is the simplified form of let us, but they neither told me the usage of let us.

I think:

Let us go to the restaurant=Please allow us to go to the restaurant.

Let's go to the restaurant=Shall we go to the restaurant.

Is that right?

Thx for ur help.
  

Top answer

Not really a difference. It's essentially an idiomatic suggestion, nowadays. "Let us" would literally translate as "allow us", but it more closely means "we should/should we/how about we/why don't we".

— Carson21

  • Not really a difference.
  • It's essentially an idiomatic suggestion, nowadays.
  • "Let us" would literally translate as "allow us", but it more closely means "we should/should we/how about we/why don't we".
  • Saying "let us" only differs from "let's" in nuance.
  • They mean exactly the same thing.
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9 Answers
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Not really a difference. It's essentially an idiomatic suggestion, nowadays. "Let us" would literally translate as "allow us", but it more closely means "we should/should we/how about we/why don't we".

Saying "let us" only differs from "let's" in nuance. They mean exactly the same thing. "Let us" might be a bit more formal because it's not a contraction. Or it might be used emphatically.
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Thank you, man.

But if I have this question in exams, they will be deemed to be different. I think that's the fault of the Languages Education in china.
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Diego SimãoI think:

Let us go to the restaurant=Please allow us to go to the restaurant. Yes, 'let us' is frequently used as a request for permission, but to make it a polite request, the word 'please' (for example) would usually precede 'let us'. When used to request permission, 'us' would not normally include the person whos
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Let´s is the same as let us.... the first is the contracted form.
You can say:
Let us stay home tonight or
let´s stay home tonight

I hope to have helped solve your doubts.....
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I guess you are right Emotion: sad let`s ) includes both the speaker and the hearer . It`s inclusive . It expresses suggestion. Notice the tag qu
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AnonymousI guess you are right let`s ) includes both the speaker and the hearer . It`s inclusive . It expresses suggestion. Notice the tag question : let`s play tennis, shall we ? but ( let us ) is confined to the speaker only : it`s exclusive . It expresses permission . Notice the tag question :let us go to the cinema, will you ?Am I correct ?
Both readings o
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l dont think if they are different let s is the contraction of let us
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I understand it the same way as you do "Let us" is "Permit us"/ "Allow us" as in "Please let us go to Andy's slumber party."

"Let's" is a proposal or a suggestion as in "Let's go to the beach this evening".

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