Let go means to stop holding something: to open your hand or to stop holding on to something in your mind. Let go of the rope means to release the rope; let go of the past means to stop clinging to it. If you name what you release after let go, you need of; without an object, you just say let go.
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let go; let go of + noun/person; let go of + the past/an idea; let + person/it + go
- The little boy let go of my hand and ran towards the swings.
- Hold the rope tightly and don't let go until I tell you.
- Good managers know when to let go of a project that isn't working.
What changed
First versionPlease let go me, I can walk by myself.
RevisionPlease let go of me, I can walk by myself.
Let go me follows the pattern of “release me”, but an object can't come straight after let go. There are two correct options: let go of me, or let me go, with the object between let and go. The corrected sentence only adds of.
Without an object: Don't let go! With an object, use of: let go of the rope, let go of an old idea. Let + person + go usually means to allow someone to leave: The police let him go after questioning. At work, it is also a gentle way to say someone lost their job: The company let ten people go.
Your turn
Hold my arm on the icy path and don't ___ until we reach the car.
Show the answer
let go — The gap is followed directly by until, with no object, so you need let go without a preposition. You would need of only if the sentence said what not to let go of: don't let go of my arm.
Write about a plan, habit or old grudge you had to give up. Say what exactly you let go of and what changed after that.
When I let go of my plan to become a lawyer, I finally had time to study design, which I really enjoy.
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