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Imperative Sentence

The document discusses the form, function, and usage of imperative sentences. The typical form of an imperative sentence is a base verb with no subject, used to give a command or instruction. Imperatives can be positive or negative and refer to present or future time. While usually used to directly command someone, imperatives can also be used politely with words like "please" or to make suggestions. Special cases include using a subject, unreal commands, "do" before the imperative, and question tags after imperatives.

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266 views4 pages

Imperative Sentence

The document discusses the form, function, and usage of imperative sentences. The typical form of an imperative sentence is a base verb with no subject, used to give a command or instruction. Imperatives can be positive or negative and refer to present or future time. While usually used to directly command someone, imperatives can also be used politely with words like "please" or to make suggestions. Special cases include using a subject, unreal commands, "do" before the imperative, and question tags after imperatives.

Uploaded by

Nur fauziah
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Imperative Sentence (command)

Get out.Terminator

Imperative sentences are one of the four sentence types (declarative, interrogative,
imperative, exclamative).

Imperative sentences give commands.

form function example


verb... give a command Stop!

What is the form of an imperative sentence?


The typical form (structure) of an English imperative sentence uses the base verb with no
subject. In fact, many imperative sentences consist of nothing but the verb. Look at these
example structures:

verb
Stop!
...verb...
Please sit here.

The final punctuation is usually a full-stop/period (.) or an exclamation mark/point (!).

Imperative sentences can be in positive or negative form, and can refer to present or future
time.

What is the function of an imperative sentence?


The usual function (job) of an imperative sentence is to give a command or instruction. It
tells us to do something.

Look at these examples:

• Help!
• Go now!
• Don't sit there.

How do we use an imperative sentence?


Although we use imperative sentences to give direct commands, we can also use them to give
instructions more politely than a straight command. Instructions like this are quite common,
for example in a user guide to explain how to operate a machine. Imperatives can also be
used with words like "please" or "kindly" to add politeness.

Look at these positive and negative examples. You will notice that some of them refer to
present time, some to future time and some to both:

example
positive negative
context
army Shoot! Don't move!
Remove the packaging. Open the blue box and Do not dispose of battery in
user guide
connect the two wires. the trash.
Don't forget your
school Now wash your hands!
homework.
Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is
airplane Do not smoke in the toilets.
off.
Please don't forget your
hotel Kindly help yourself to fruit.
belongings.
friends Please be waiting when we arrive. Don't be late!

Imperative special cases


Imperative with subject

Normally when we use the imperative there is no subject because the subject is obvious—it's
YOU! Sometimes, however, to make the subject clear, we do use a subject, for example:

• Everybody look!
• Relax, everybody.
• Nobody move!
• John sit down; the rest of you go home.
• Somebody answer the phone!
• You keep out of this!

We can also use you as the subject to imply anger, as in:

• You watch your mouth, young man!


• You be quiet!
• Don't you talk to me like that!
Unreal commands

We often express hope and make suggestions with the imperative form, but these are not real
commands:

• Have a good trip. (hope)


• Enjoy the meal. (hope)
• If there's no olive oil try almond oil. (suggestion)

Imperative with do

If we put do before the imperative the effect is to make requests, apologies and complaints
more emphatic but also more polite:

• Do take a seat. (request)


• Do forgive me. I didn't mean to offend you. (apology)
• Do try to keep the noise down, gentlemen. (complaint)

Imperative with always, never, ever

The words always, never, ever come before imperatives, as in:

• Always remember who's boss.


• Never speak to me like that again.
• Don't ever speak to me like that again.

Passive imperative

We sometimes make passive imperatives with get, for example:

• Get vaccinated before your holiday.

Imperative with and

We can sometimes use the imperative + and instead of an if-clause, for example:

• Go now and I'll never speak to you again. (If you go now, I'll never speak...)

Imperative with question tag

We sometimes use these question tags after imperatives: can you? can't you? could you? will
you? won't you? would you? Look at these examples:

• Lend me a dollar, can you?


• Help me with this, will you?
• Keep still, won't you?
Reference

• Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press, 2017


• Seely, John. Grammar for Teachers. Oxpecker, 2006
• Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press, 2009
• Trask, R.L. Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar. Penguin Reference, 2005

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