Let's go+verb structure

Hi! I’ve been wondering for some time if there is a rule in case of Let’s go +Verb structure.
Let’s go play tennis.
Let’s go swimming, shopping.
Is there a rule which states clearly when we add an -ing ending to the given verb.
I will be grateful for help.
Marzena

How does this sound:

  • “Let’s go do something” is used when two or more words follow “go”.
  • “Let’s go doing” is used when the “doing” is expressed by one word only.

In addition, you can change the tense of “go” in “go doing”. For example:

  • They have gone shopping. (present perfect)
  • We went sightseeing. (past simple)

“Go do” is basically a shortened form of “go and do”. However, you can use “go do” only in the “go do” form. You can say these, for example:

  • You should go get some sleep.
  • We want to go see that movie.
  • I will go find us some help.
  • Mary told John to go jump in a lake.

You cannot say any of these:

[color=red]* He goes get some sleep.

  • We went see the movie.
  • I am going find us some help.
  • John has gone jumped in a lake.

But you can say this, for example:

  • We went and saw the movie.

  • Amy -
    [color=darkblue][size=84]ESL teacher, native speaker of American English[/size]

Where have you been Amy? Good to see you back. :slight_smile:

Hi Daemon

Nice to see you, too.
Where have I been? Well, I also post on other ESL forums for one thing. My Yankee username was unceremoniously deactivated here last year, and it still doesn’t work. I guess the prospect of additional contributions from Yankee was and still is just too terrifying a thought for some people to deal with.
:wink:
So, I don’t intend to post much here anymore. I may pop in occasionally under this new username – unless it ends up being deactivated too, that is.

Take care,
Amy


[size=84][color=darkblue]ESL teacher, translator, native speaker of American English and author of more than 8000 posts on this site.[/size]