Go to bed versus Go to sleep

[tung quoc]

Dear teachers,

Do you think "go to bed" and "go to sleep" in:

a. Go to bed. It's late.
b. Go to sleep. It's late.

have the same meaning?

Tung Quoc

[Pamela]

I think, yes, but at the same I see a slightest difference to go to bed means to go for having a sleep while to go to sleep is synonymous to fall asleep

[Yankee]

Hi Quoc

I see a significant difference in the sentences:

a. Go to bed. It's late. --> This means the person is not in bed yet but should go to bed because it's late and he/she needs sleep.

b. Go to sleep. It's late. --> This sentence suggests that the person is already in bed. The person has probably already been in bed for quite some time, doing other things (reading, for example) rather than going to sleep.

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[tung quoc]

Dear teacher,

b. Go to sleep. It's late. --> This sentence suggests that the person is already in bed. The person has probably already been in bed for quite some time, doing other things (reading, for example) rather than going to sleep.

What does "quite" means?

Best regards
Quoc

[Yankee]

Hi Quoc

The word quite increases the length of time in this case.
"Quite some time" = a considerable amount of time
"Quite a long time" = a very long time

In other words, the person has already been in bed much longer than a few minutes.

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English