Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions

Level: A1. When you want to propose doing something together — with the people you are talking to — English gives you a handful of friendly patterns. The most common is Let’s, and it could not be simpler: Let’s plus the plain verb.

The rule

A suggestion proposes an action and includes the speaker: you and I will do this together. The main tool is Let’s, a short form of let us. After it you use the base verb — the plain dictionary form with no ending and no to:

• Let’s go. / Let’s eat. / Let’s start now.

Because Let’s already means let us, you do not add another subject. The negative is Let’s not + base verb: “Let’s not wait”, “Let’s not argue.”

English has three more everyday ways to suggest, all inviting the other person to agree:

• Shall we + base verb? — “Shall we go?” (a little more formal; common in British English)
• Why don’t we + base verb? — “Why don’t we take the bus?”
• How about + -ing / a noun? — “How about going out?”, “How about a coffee?”

How about is the odd one out: it is followed by the -ing form or a noun, not the base verb.

Suggestion forms

How to say it

• Let’s is one quick syllable — the us is swallowed to a soft “s”: say “lets”, not “let us”, in normal speech.
• Shall has a short a, like shell but with “a” — “shal”. In American English Shall we…? sounds more formal or old-fashioned; Let’s and Why don’t we are more common there.
• In Why don’t we, the don’t is weak and runs in: “why-dunt-we”.

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ Let’s to go. → ✅ Let’s go. No to after let’s — just the base verb.
• ❌ Let’s going home. → ✅ Let’s go home. Use the base verb, not the -ing form, after let’s.
• ❌ Let us go (to a friend) → ✅ Let’s go. The full let us sounds very formal or old-fashioned in speech; use let’s.
• ❌ Let’s don’t wait. → ✅ Let’s not wait. The standard negative is Let’s not + base verb.
• ❌ Shall we to dance? → ✅ Shall we dance? No to after shall we.
• ❌ How about go out? → ✅ How about going out? How about takes the -ing form (or a noun), not the base verb.

A short conversation

A: I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat. B: Good idea. Shall we try the new place? A: Why don’t we just make pasta at home? B: Even better. Let’s not spend money today. A: Agreed. How about a film after dinner?

Usage notes

• Agreeing and disagreeing. To accept a suggestion: “Good idea”, “Sure”, “Yes, let’s”, “Why not?” To decline gently: “I’d rather not”, “Maybe later.”
• Let’s with the question tag. A common friendly tag after Let’s is shall we?: “Let’s go, shall we?” This softens the suggestion.
• Shall for offers. Shall I…? (just I, not we) offers to do something yourself: “Shall I open the window?” With we, it suggests doing it together.
• How about you? How about…? can also turn a question back: “I’d like coffee. How about you?”

Compared with…

• Imperatives give a direct command or instruction to the other person, using the base verb with no subject: “Sit down”, “Open the door.” A suggestion with Let’s includes you too — “Let’s sit down” means we both do it. See Imperatives: Giving Commands and Instructions.
• Requests with can and could ask the other person to do something for you — “Could you open the door?” — rather than proposing a shared action. A suggestion invites agreement to do something together. See Making Requests: Can, Could, May I.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

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