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)

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.

Examples

• Listen to your teacher.
• Don’t forget your keys.
• Be quiet, please.
• Don’t touch the wet paint.
• Go straight and then turn left.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

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.

よくある質問

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! または 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. または 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. または Get enough sleep.

Related lessons

• Imperatives
• Imperatives