Which one is is right and why?

Question

What should I say - go to lunch or go for lunch? Is there any difference?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

mainak.basudevgo to lunch or go for lunch?

There's no difference that I know of. Each one implies proceeding to a different location. I believe it could be just a few steps, or a car trip of a few miles.

Cavalier King · Answer

Thanks for your valuable input Avangi. But what I've found somewhere else telling something different that's why I've asked here to clarify.

Avangi · Answer

mainak.basudevwhat I've found somewhere else telling something different

Different people have different habits about these routine things.
I was picturing a group of workers who take their lunch break together every day at the same time.

If you happen to "run into" an old friend, you might say, "Let's go for lunch sometime," or "Let's do lunch sometime."
"Let's go to lunch sometime" is still possible, but less likely, depending on the individual's habit.

What did your other source have to say on the subject?

- A.

Cavalier King · Answer

Thanks Avangi for narrating in such a clear way. I want to be very frank in this issue. I recently came across another forum post where the thing that's mentioned below in quote was mentioned. I hope you'd take a look into this.

"The difference seems to be that "go to lunch" means that you will leave where you are and travel to someplace to eat lunch. "Go for lunch" means that you will go someplace to get your lunch and, possibily, take the lunch back to your starting place. Both terms can be used for going someplace to eat lunch. "Go for lunch" means going someplace to get lunch - where the lunch is eaten is not clear."

Mentee · Answer

go to lunch: lunch is a verb (activity)
go for lunch(/dinner/a meal): lunch is a noun

Both are correct.

Avangi · Answer

"The difference seems to be that "go to lunch" means that you will leave where you are and travel to someplace to eat lunch. "Go for lunch" means that you will go someplace to get your lunch and, possibily, take the lunch back to your starting place. Both terms can be used for going someplace to eat lunch. "Go for lunch" means going someplace to get lunch - where the lunch is eaten is not clear."

I agree with this in general. But "for" can mean "for the purpose of having lunch" as well as "to obtain lunch." Whereas "to" is used almost exclusively when the location is known in advance, and usually when the routine is established.

I agree that when the plan is to bring the food back to the present location, "for" would be used rather than "to."

If the other forum post was not on EF, perhaps we should give them credit.

Cavalier King · Answer

I agree with you. We must give them credit being EF members! <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'/>

Anonymous · Answer

I dont know. Even i also get confusion on this topic

Which one is is right and why?

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