Let, Lets, Let’s
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.” –Graham Greene
Lets and let’s can be confused because they have the same sound but they have completely different meanings when written.
Let us (or its contraction – let’s) read George Orwell’s dystopian (opposite of utopia) novel ‘1984’ or Nineteen Eighty-Four”. It lets (verb meaning allows us, enables us) one to know about the frightening society under the rule of a Big Brother!
Let has many meanings, and also forms suffix in the formation of many compound words and phrases (let alone. let-down, let-off, let-out, let be, let in, let oneself go, let off, let off steam, let on, let through, let up, to allow to something remain as it its (let it be there, we shall take care of it later),
Let is a verb meaning to allow something or somebody in to, not preventing, not forbidding; cause to or lead to (let me know about your whereabouts, let it be known to everyone), allow, granting a room or house to someone upon payment of rent (house to let signs are not uncommon as economic recession hits) .
Cities that have educational institutions have houses with ‘To-Let’ signs during the start of academic session.
Grammatically, let also functions as the first and third person imperative in conversations, or exhortations: Let us get out of this place, let us go for a dinner, let us have a coffee. In this context, the short form of let us is let’s. That is let’s is the contracted form of let and us with an apostrophe.
Let us (or let’s) us go to the cinema, it has been a long time. (But my father has to let me go!)
The ticket lets (not let’s) you to get in not for one viewing but three viewings.
Lets (without an apostrophe) is the third-person singular form of the verb let, which means allow, permit, lease, or release. Lets is an action word, verb, to allow, and to permit. Other verb forms of let are letting and letted or let (past tense) meaning hinder, obstruct but they are obsolete.
As the suffix -let forms nouns – diminutives – referring to articles, dress, jewellery, or anything small: leaflets, pamphlets, anklets.
“Because you are defined not by life’s imperfect moments, but by your reaction to them. And because there is joy in embracing – rather than running from – the utter absurdity of life.” –Jenny Lawson, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
