LoginImperative Mood
In this article, you'll dive into the imperative mood, like 'Finish your homework'. Detailed explanations and a quiz are included to test your knowledge.
What Is Imperative Mood?
The imperative mood is a verb form used to give commands, make requests, or express a sense of urgency or obligation. It is used to convey a direct and forceful message to the listener or reader, and is often used to tell someone what to do or how to do something with a sense of authority or urgency.
Imperatives: Structure
Negation
To create a negative imperative sentence, the negated auxiliary 'do not' or 'don't' is added before the imperative verb. This structure is used to express a prohibition or instruct someone not to do something.
Do not smoke in here.
Don't stand under this building.
It is also possible to use other negative markers, such as negative pronouns or adverbs, to give a negative command. For example:
Nobody move.
Never lie to me again.
Tip!
Sometimes orders, demands, or requests are expressed using moods other than the imperative. These can take the form of polite requests using the interrogative mood, calls for immediate action using the exclamatory mood, or emphatic or indirect orders using declarative mood. For example:
Would you mind opening the door?
Here, a request is expressed using the interrogative mood to sound more polite.
You need to come in now.
This is an order in the form of a declarative sentence.
Out of my way!
This sentence expresses a sense of urgency using the exclamatory mood.
Imperatives: Uses
Imperatives can be used:
to give orders
to give directions
to give instructions
to give permission
to give advice or suggestion
to give warnings
to make a request
to make an invitation
To Give Orders
The imperative form is used to give orders or commands, and is often used to tell someone what to do or what not to do. For example:
Make your bed!
Don't slouch!
To Give Directions
The imperative form is often used to give directions or instructions when guiding someone to a particular place or location. For example:
Go straight for 2 miles. Turn right on Fifth Street. Then take a right turn on Elm Street.
Here, the speaker is helping, not giving orders.
To Give Instructions
The imperative form is often used to give detailed instructions on how to do something or how to operate something, such as a cooking recipe or electronic device manual. Look at the example:
Add 3 cups of flour to the mix.
Adjust the settings to your preference.
To Give Permission
Imperative verbs can also be used to give permission for something to be done from a position of authority. For example:
Go ahead and have as much candy as you like.
Come in.
To Give Advice and Suggestion
The imperative form can be used to offer advice or suggestion on what someone should or should not do in a particular situation.
Don't wear that dress.
Consider your options carefully before making a decision.
To Give Warnings
The imperative form can be used to warn someone about potential negative consequences in the future and encourage them to take action to avoid them. For example:
Don't push his buttons. He'll get really angry!
Take shelter, a storm is coming.
To Make a Request
A request is a formal and polite way of asking for something. It is different from an 'order' or 'command' in that it includes the terms like 'please' or 'and 'if you don't mind'. When you use 'please' in an imperative sentence, it adds politeness and formality to the request. For example:
Pass the salt, please.
Open the window, if you don't mind.
To Make an Invitation
In a very informal or friendly context, the imperative form can be used to make an invitation for someone to do something. For example:
Come to the party at 7:00.
Join us for a drink after work.
Imperatives with Do
In some cases, adding the auxiliary 'do' at the beginning of the imperative sentence can make it more formal and polite or add emphasis.
How intriguing! Do tell!
Imperatives with Pronouns
We can add a subject pronoun (typically 'you') to emphasize the imperative sentence. However, it is important to be mindful of tone and avoid sounding rude. This structure is used for giving strong and decisive orders. Pay attention to the examples:
You shut up! I don't want to hear another word from you.
Don't you talk back to me!
Imperatives with Indefinite Pronouns
In some situations, a command is addressed to a group of people. In such cases, imperatives can be used with indefinite pronouns like 'somebody', 'everybody', and 'all'. The pronouns can take modifiers after them or appear on their own. In these cases, the verb does not take the '-s' form for the third person singular.
Somebody call the cops. Now!
Because it's an imperative sentence, we did not say 'calls'.
Everybody over there stand up.
All hail the Queen.
Imperatives: Exhortative
Exhortatives refer to acts of strongly persuading someone to do something. The exhortative imperative implies that the subject of the sentence is the first person plural, in other words, the speaker is included in the group that is urged to do something. Exhortative imperatives follow the structure 'Let us (or Let's) + the base form of the verb'. By using this structure, the speaker can encourage collective action and motivate others to work towards a common goal. For example:
Let us review these points in more details.
The speaker is trying to encourage the audience to review the points.
To create a negative exhortative imperative, you can simply add 'not' between 'let us' and the imperative verb.
Let's not tell her what we did.
'Let's' is the contracted form of 'Let us'.
Tip
When the subject following the verb 'let' is anything other than 'us', the structure is no longer an exhortative imperative and turns into an ordinary imperative that uses the verb 'let' in its common meaning which is 'to allow'. This structure is often used for offering assistance or giving permission to someone.
Let me help you with that.
Let her go to the party.
Passive Imperative
Passive imperatives are not as common as active ones but nevertheless grammatically possible. Passive imperatives are more formal or indirect than typical active imperatives. Take a look at some examples:
Please be seated.
The active form would be "please sit."
Be advised that trespassers will be prosecuted..
Don't be fooled by his charm.
Review
The imperative is a verbal mood in English grammar. It is the most direct way one can give orders or make somebody do or not to do something.
Structure
The imperative mood uses the base form of the verb at the beginning of the sentence. The subject is most commonly implied, but sometimes the second-person pronoun "you" or an indefinite pronoun can come before the imperative verb to make the command more emphatic or address it to a group instead of an individual.
Uses
To give orders | Make your bed! |
|---|---|
To give directions | Turn right on Fifth Street. |
To give Instructions | Add 3 cups of flour to the mix. |
To give Advice and Suggestions | Don't wear that dress. |
To give Warnings | Don't push his buttons. He'll get really angry. |
To make Requests | Please close the door on your way out. |
To invite Somebody | Come to the party at 7:00. |
Quiz:
Which sentence is an example of the imperative mood?
She is attending the meeting.
Please submit your report by noon.
How exciting this event is!
Did they finish the project?
Sort the words to form a negative imperative.
Which of the following sentences does not follow the correct structure of an imperative sentence using pronouns?
You sit down and be quiet.
Don't you ever say that again.
Somebody calls the doctor immediately.
Everybody take a step back.
Match each sentence with its correct use case.
Choose true or false for each sentence.
The subject of an imperative sentence is always explicitly stated. | |
Imperative sentences cannot be formed in the passive voice. | |
Exhortative imperatives include the speaker in the action being urged. | |
Indefinite pronouns can never be used with imperative verbs. | |
Declarative sentences and imperative sentences have the same grammatical structure. |
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