French language Q&A Forum

When would you use the "aller faire..." format such as in "Avec mes copines, on va faire du shopping ce weekend", versus just "faire du shopping"?

On a writing exercise (Cette Semaine) was asked to translate : On Monday, I went shopping with my son. My response - Lundi, j'ai fait les magasins avec mon fils. It didn’t match answers given - Lundi, je suis allé faire les magasins avec mon fils. Is there anything wrong with my answer? Went shopping is translated similarly here. 

Can someone comment on if there is a difference - ie. in meaning or maybe simply a regional or proper grammar difference of saying the same thing? Thankyou

I have read the answers in the discussion where this has been raised previously and reread the lesson which says both are correct.  Then the quiz question regarding "sales" is still marked incorrect when  "faire du shopping" is submitted as an answer. Why?

faire les magasins and faire le shopping are, without further distinction, both correct.

Come on guys, faire les magasins is as correct as faire le shopping. You admit this and, besides, you haven't made any distinction between the two options.

Would it be possible to adapt this lesson for those living in Québec?  Here, they would use the phrase "faire son épicerie"?

http://www.trickortrip.com/bases-culturelles-faire-ses-courses-au-quebec/

This particular question and explanation frustrate me a bit because I've seen it so often in other "teaching" apps. It seems to me, perhaps incorrectly, that the lessons should be geared toward the student in NOT assuming that the student knows or will stop to look up the many nuances of what type of shopping one is doing, especially since it often will not be indicated. Since there are two such distinct intents for these "going shopping" phrases, it seems to me that neither "faire les courses" nor "faire les magasins" should be marked incorrect. "The sales are on" does not exclude non-personal-goods locations. In this instance, perhaps a hint needs to be included.

J'ai répondu avec "du shopping," mais la réponse était "les magasins." Mais dans la leçon, les deux semblent plutôt égales. 

Dans ce contexte, ça doit être  "les magasins" ? :)

How about the expression, "faire des achats"?