This is a comment, not a question: To me, the construction "go and ... " sounds like the person speaking is poorly educated.

Walter B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

This is a comment, not a question: To me, the construction "go and ... " sounds like the person speaking is poorly educated.

The "and" is superfluous to the meaning.  In my experience, I have only heard it from people (some of them my relatives, malheureusement!) who have not graduated from high school, or who are deliberately trying to sound uneducated.  Moreover, they usually slur the "and" so that it sounds like "... go 'n' visit ...  "We'll go visit the Eiffel Tower when we're in Paris" sounds just fine to my ear, much better without the "and".

Walter B. 

Asked 6 years ago
Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
It might be different in the US, but in British English "go and visit" is correct.
Walter B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Interesting!  Thank you!

Oh, well, as Winston Churchill said, Great Britain and America are two great nations divided by a common language.

I'm really enjoying the website and my French is improving rapidly!

Best regards,

Walter B.

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Actually, I would also ditch the "go" for stylistic reasons: We'll visit the Eiffel Tower...
Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
What stylistic reasons? Of course it's also a valid English sentence, and you might prefer it in some contexts (it sounds a bit like you're listing an itinerary), but as a translation of "Nous irons visiter....?
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
No, I mean heeding the ol' Strunk & White style manual which abhors superfluous words. The meaning doesn't change by getting rid of "... go and ..." hence these two are extraneous.
Suzy G.B1Kwiziq community member

In British  English, we usually include the 'and'. And yes, because it is unaccented, the vowel becomes reduced - and yes, again, the 'd' is often dropped. We have a few epressions where we don't include the and - but they are often rude. ('Go boil your head! etc.)   Vive la difference (sorry - no acute accent on my k/b).

Suzy G.B1Kwiziq community member

Oops eXpression! 

Walter B. asked:

This is a comment, not a question: To me, the construction "go and ... " sounds like the person speaking is poorly educated.

The "and" is superfluous to the meaning.  In my experience, I have only heard it from people (some of them my relatives, malheureusement!) who have not graduated from high school, or who are deliberately trying to sound uneducated.  Moreover, they usually slur the "and" so that it sounds like "... go 'n' visit ...  "We'll go visit the Eiffel Tower when we're in Paris" sounds just fine to my ear, much better without the "and".

Walter B. 

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