‘To Let’ you have some common words, expressions, phrasal verbs..for your usage!

Jokes apart, you need to have some ‘new words or expressions’ and you have started to see them and learn from common errors almost everyday. Continue it to speak well and remain in the league of people who grow their communication skills along with learning technical fundamentals of your field (fandas as some people shorten to call it). As a learner of Conversational English, you need usage notes or tips and techniques on how to ‘connect the dots’ between what you speak and what the listeners understand – we call them T.r.i.c.k.s.

You are right! This is same as connecting your technical know-how to the client’s requirement. Do you realize how important is this connect?

Like everyone, when I first came to Delhi I saw a lot of  ‘To Let’ signs/stickers with just a phone number written and wondered what’s being ‘Let out’ at such a mass scale. Looking for house to live in, I figured it out later in the day…

See the picture a typical ‘TO LET’ sign taken by a foreigner as a part of his India Experience – which is described in ‘half-baked’ or at most times completely wrong English (Leash in place of Lease)

Let’s not worry about the English! Let us call the number, if you need the Leash or Lease (as he most likely means). But Let’s don’t call as we are ‘a business’, neither ‘Bachelors’ nor a ‘Family’.

Please Don’t Mind the Language used by the Rental Agent Vasanth.  Let’s also learn from the mistakes. Since our friend ‘Vasanth’ is not part of our class,  I let you: Laugh Out Loud (LOL) :-).

This post on ‘to let’ has some common words, expressions or phrasal verbs and idioms  for your usage.

The meaning and usages word “Let” a verb  and some sentences.

Let (v) Meanings                       (a sentences as an example)
1. To give permission or opportunity to; allow: I let you borrow my car whenever you need it. 

2. To cause to; make: Let the news be known.
3. To assume; Let x be the number of people wanting to get a job and Let y be the number of people who prepare well
4. To permit to enter, proceed: let the guest in. Popular song “Who let the Dogs out!”
5. To rent or lease: let rooms flats or a kothi

Phrasal Verbs: Meaning: Usage in a sentence

• let down: To fail to meet the expectations of; disappoint. Your rejection in an interview is let down for me as a trainer
• let out: To make known; reveal: Who let that story out?
• let up: To slow down; diminish: Leaders don’t let up in their efforts.

Idioms: Meaning: Usage in a sentence

• let alone: Not to mention; much less: “Their ancestors had been dirt poor and never saw royalty, let alone hung around with them” (Garrison Keillor).
• let go: To cease to employ; dismiss: Due to the recession, the compnay had to let 20 workers go.
• let (one’s) hair down: To drop one’s reserve or inhibitions. The office organised a party this Diwali to let everyone’s hair down
• let (someone) in on: To reveal (a secret) to someone: They finally let me in on their plans.

Special case of Let’s: a contraction of ‘let us’ used to form expressions like

Let’s eat our lunch today!. Come! Let’s dance! or as I have used Let’s in my post: Let’s also learn… and Let’s not worry…

Usage notes of difference between Let’s and Let us
Let’s is always inclusive, which refers to both the speaker and the addressee (one or many), whereas ‘let us’ is commonly exclusive, which refers only to the speakers… 

Let’s go, we are getting late. – inclusive we …..  person who listens also needs to go
Release us and please let us go! – exclusive we….. person listening will only release and see the ‘speakers’ go

Negation of let’s is let’s not  as used in. Let’s not think about the problems today…..

For Go Global students: Don’t is also used with Let’s, but it is often considered non-standard. Also note that people in US/UK use it in a different way:

Let’s don’t worry about it. (US)
Don’t let’s worry about it. (UK)

Finally, when the speaker is singular use ‘Let me’ (our friends in US would like to contact it to say “Lemme ask you something” ) NOT part of Business English.  

Let me invite your comments or sentences on ‘usage of Let’- a simple verb. Please don’t ask me the meaning of ‘TO LET’ in Hindi. I don’t know and I will not let you speak ‘Kiraaye key Liye Khaali Hai” in my Conversation in English Class… have a great day!