go and do something

[kadioguy]

On http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/go, it says:

go
verb
go and do something (also go do something American English) [not in past tenses] to move to a particular place in order to do something

Go wash your hands.
I went and spoke to the manager.

-----------

Why does it say 'not in past tenses' and then in the example it writes 'I went and spoke to the manager.'?

Is there a contradiction between them?

[Tarheel]

It says the phrase is not used in the past tense and then it gives an example of its use in the past tense. That is clearly a contradiction.

[Phaedrus]

It's the "go [verb]" variant that can't be in the past tense.

We can say: I went and spoke to the manager.

But even Americans can't say: *I went spoke to the manager.

[kadioguy]

It's the "go [verb]" variant that can't be in the past tense.

We can say: I went and spoke to the manager.

But even Americans can't say: *I went spoke to the manager.

I am sorry, but I cannot understand what you mean. Could you explain it in a easier way or in more detail?

Does you mean 'go do something' cannot be in past tenses, but 'go and do something' can be so?

[Tarheel]

Using the example given, you could say:

I went and washed my hands.

But not:

I went washed my hands.

[Phaedrus]

I am sorry, but I cannot understand what you mean. Could you explain it in a easier way or in more detail?

In both British and American English, we can use the "go and [verb]" construction:

"Let's go and see John."
"We need to go and get some gas."
"You should go and meet them now."

In informal American English, we can omit the conjunction "and" in such sentences:

"Let's go see John."
"We need to go get some gas."
"You should go meet them now."

In both British and American English, the version with the conjunction can be in the past tense:

"We went and saw John."
"We went and got some gas."
"You went and met them."

But the version without the conjunction can never grammatically be in the past tense, even in American English. In the following non-sentences, I am using a bold black asterisk and red lettering to represent that the non-sentences aren't sentences. They're ungrammatical. If I knew how strikes are drawn through sentences on this forum, I would do that, too, just to make sure you understood that these are examples of things you should never, ever say:

*"We went saw John."
*"We went got some gas."
*"You went met them."

[kadioguy]

If I knew how strikes are drawn through sentences on this forum, I would do that, too, just to make sure you understood that these are examples of things you should never, ever say:

*"We went saw John."
*"We went got some gas."
*"You went met them."

You can do it by following just two steps :





*"We went saw John."
*"We went got some gas."
*"You went met them."

[Rover_KE]

To find the strike-through feature you have to Go Advanced.

[emsr2d2]

You can do it manually as well. You have to type [STRIKE] before the word(s) you want to strike through. After them, you type the same thing but you put a forward slash before the word STRIKE.

[GoesStation]

In informal American English, we can omit the conjunction "and" in such sentences:

"Let's go see John."
"We need to go get some gas."
"You should go meet them now."

I wouldn't qualify that usage as "informal".