What to use when you are not exhorting a group and yourself to go, but demanding a third person to let you go? Can “Let's go! " also be used"or only “Let us go!"?
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3I doubt anyone who hears /lets go/ will think anything but exhortation of a group of us to go somewhere. – SrJoven Aug 28 '14 at 15:10
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1No, you definitely can't use the contracted form in an imperative with the sense of "[You] free us". – FumbleFingers Aug 28 '14 at 15:16
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possible duplicate of Is there some rule against ending a sentence with the contraction "it's"?, within which the reason you can't use a contraction there is is explained by this answer – FumbleFingers Aug 28 '14 at 15:20
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What I thought, SrJoven. I'll make a note next time we see imperatives. Thanks! – Curious Aug 28 '14 at 15:22
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In my experience, the contraction "let's" is exclusively used for the first person plural imperative. If you were to use this contraction when addressing your captor, you would be implying that she or he is invited to come along.
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