Imperatives - English
Imperatives
Using English Imperatives
Imperatives in English are used to give orders, instructions, directions, or requests. The structure is easy: use the base form of the verb without a subject.
The verb stands alone, and you don’t include “to,” “please” (unless you want to be polite), or a subject (“you”) in the sentence.
Examples:
- Come here.
- Stop talking.
- Write your name.
- Go outside.
- Clean your room.
To make a negative imperative, add “don’t” before the base verb.
Examples:
- Don’t eat that.
- Don’t call her.
- Don’t play inside.
- Don’t take my book.
Imperatives can be used for instructions, such as recipes, directions, or classroom tasks.
Examples:
- Eat your vegetables.
- Listen to the teacher.
- Help your friend.
- Tell me the answer.
- Arrive on time.
Polite imperatives often include “please,” but the grammar is the same.
Examples:
- Please write your address.
- Please clean up after class.
- Please come early.
Related Topics
Subjunctive Mood, Modals of Obligation: must, should, Infinitives of PurposeSkills
Forming imperatives
Forming imperatives
arrive, call, clean, come, eat, go, help, listen, play, stop, take, tell, write