What Are English Imperatives?
Imperatives are verbs that give a direct command, instruction, warning, or request.
They are very common in daily English. You will hear them often and use them a lot.
- Stop! (A command)
- Open your book. (An instruction)
- Be careful! (A warning)
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How Do You Form Positive Imperatives?
To make a positive imperative, use the base form of the verb. This is the simplest form of the verb, like go, eat, listen.
You do not add ‘s’ for ‘he/she/it’ or ‘ing’ for continuous actions. There is no subject (like ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’).
- Come here. (Not ‘Comes here’ or ‘You come here’)
- Sit down.
- Read the instructions.
How Do You Form Negative Imperatives?
To make a negative imperative, add Don’t before the base form of the verb.
Don’t is a short form of Do not. We use Don’t most of the time.
- Don’t talk. (Not ‘No talk’)
- Don’t open that door.
- Don’t be late.
When Do We Use Imperatives?
We use imperatives in many situations. They are very versatile.
- To give instructions: Mix the ingredients.
- To give commands: Stop running!
- To give warnings: Watch out!
- To give advice: Eat healthy food.
- To make polite requests (with ‘please’): Please wait for me.
| Positive Imperative | Negative Imperative |
|---|---|
| Look! | Don’t look! |
| Be quiet! | Don’t be noisy! |
| Open the door. | Don’t open the door. |
| Go there. | Don’t go there. |
Exemples
- Listen to your teacher.
- Don’t forget your keys.
- Be quiet, please.
- Don’t touch the wet paint.
- Go straight and then turn left.
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Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes with imperatives:
- Using a subject: In Spanish, you often use ‘tú’ or ‘usted’ with commands. In English, we do not use ‘you’ with imperatives.
Wrong: You open the door.
Right: Open the door. - Using ‘No’ instead of ‘Don’t’ for negatives:
Wrong: No talk.
Right: Don’t talk. - Adding ‘to’ before the verb:
Wrong: To sit down.
Right: Sit down.
Questions fréquemment posées
What is the main use of an imperative?
The main use of an imperative is to give a direct command or instruction, like Come here! or Listen!
Do imperatives have a subject?
No, imperatives do not have a subject. The command is understood to be for ‘you’ (the person listening).
How do I make an imperative polite?
To make an imperative polite, add please at the beginning or end of the sentence, for example: Please sit down. or Wait for me, please.
Can I use imperatives for advice?
Yes, you can use imperatives to give advice, such as Study hard for your exam. or Get enough sleep.
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