Imperative Mood for intermediate learners
If you're wondering what the word 'imperative' means, in grammar, imperatives are verbs that are used to tell somebody what to do or not to do.
What Is Imperative Mood?
The imperative mood is a verb form used to give orders, commands, or instructions. It is often used to tell someone what to do or how to do something.
Structure
In an imperative sentence, the subject is generally hidden or implied, and the sentence begins with the base form of the verb. Take a look at the examples below:
Here, the subject is 'you' and it is hidden.
Tip!
Keep in mind that in the imperative form, we can use both a full stop (.) and an exclamation mark (!) at the end of the sentence. However, be careful not to confuse imperative statements with declarative and exclamatory sentences.
Negation
To change an imperative sentence to a negative form, you can add the phrase 'do not' or 'don't' at the beginning of the sentence. This is used to instruct someone not to do something. Pay attention to the examples below:
Warning!
When you want to order someone politely, you should use phrases such as 'please' or 'if you don't mind' in your statement. Take a look at the examples below:
Open the window,
Turn down the volume
Uses
The imperative form is used in many different contexts but we are going to learn some of its most common uses in English as listed below:
- To give orders
- To give directions
- To give instructions
- To give advice and suggestion
To Give Orders
The imperative mood can be used to give orders or to instruct someone to do or not do something. In this structure, the subject is generally implied to be 'you'. Pay attention to the examples:
To Give Directions
The imperative form is commonly used to give directions when guiding someone to a particular place or location. Let us look at some examples below:
To Give Instructions
The imperative form is often used to give instructions on how to do or use something. Pay attention to the following example:
To Give Advice and Suggestion
The imperative structure can also be used to provide advice or suggestion on what someone should or should not do. Pay attention to the examples below:
Tip!
The imperative form can also be used to invite someone to an event or gathering. Let us look at the examples below:
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