Welcome: Let's learn English!

Hi! My name is James. Welcome to the first entry of the English Corner blog. Here we'll talk about common errors that Japanese learners of English make, as well as many other English-related things. If you ever have any questions or suggestions, please let me know!

All About "Let's"

I recently went to the Kyoto International Center. I often go there to check the bulletin boards for information. I am interested in studying Japanese, so I was looking for a good class. One notice caught my eye. It said:

"LET'S STUDYING JAPANESE WITH ME!"

This is a short sentence. However, there are two mistakes in it! Can you spot them?

1. The word "let's" is a contraction (短縮形) of the two words "let us". Of course, the word "us" here means to do the verb together, as a group. So, we don't need the words "with me". They are really unnecessary! It's like saying "I will eat dinner with my mouth" or "I like listening to music with my ears"! So, now we're left with:

"LET'S STUDYING JAPANESE"

2. As you probably know, English speakers use "let's" to make suggestions (提案する) or reply to them. Here, "let's" means "why don't we~" For example:

David: Let's go to Osaka!
Andrea: Yes, let's.

We can also use "let's" to give commands (命令する). Here, "let's" means "we should ~" or "we must ~" For example,

Boss (上司): Let's get started. We have a lot of work to do.

We make suggestions or give commands about things we want to do in the future. So we can't use present progressive tense (現在進行形) like the Japanese teacher did above. We usually use that form to talk about things we are doing now. If we are already going to Osaka, it is very strange to suggest it! If you want to eat takoyaki, you should say "let's eat takoyaki!". If you want someone to get started, you should say "let's get started". So, if you want to study Japanese, you should say.....

"LET'S STUDY JAPANESE!"

This is a common error that I have seen many times in Japan, in sentences like "Let's having fun". etc. Please be careful! If it's difficult, you can simply translate:

食べましょう:
食べ = eat
ましょう= let's

Re-arrange the words and you have it: Let's eat!

Other common expressions using "let's" are:

1. Let's face it / Let's be honest: We use this phrase to show that we must be realistic or honest about an unpleasant fact or situation. For example,

"Let's face it, if sales don't improve then this company will go bankrupt".
"Let's be honest, you haven't had a boyfriend in a long time!"

2. Let's not: This is a somewhat rude way to reply to suggestions as above. For example,

David: Let's go to Osaka!
Andrea: Let's not.

(A more polite way to refuse is to give an excuse or reason:
Andrea: Oh, I'm sorry. I'd love to, but I'm a little busy these days.) An even ruder and childish expression is "Let's not and say we did".

3. Let's pretend: We use this phrase to suggest that we behave as if a fictional situation was real. We often use it when we are children to play games. For example,

"Let's pretend I'm a policeman and you're a robber"
"Let's pretend we are rich!"

4. Let's say: We use this phrase to suggest that we talk about a fictional or possible situation. It is a little similar to the one above. However, we usually use it when we are adults and to try to come to some conclusion. For example,

"Let's say we agreed to work together on this project...how will we divide the profits?"

That's all about "let's"! Let's finish for now.

投稿者：管理者　日時：05月27日　22：38　｜パーマリンク