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Imperatives

Forms and use​

In sentences like Come here, Be quiet, Have a drink or Don’t worry about it, the verb forms come, be, have and don’t worry are called ‘imperatives’. Affirmative imperatives have the same form as the infinitive without to; negative imperatives are constructed with do not (don’t).

Imperatives are used, for example, to tell or ask people to do things, to make suggestions, to give advice or instructions, to encourage and offer, and to express wishes for people’s welfare.

  • Look in the mirror before you drive off.
  • Please do not lean out of the window.
  • Tell him you’re not free this evening.
  • Try again – you nearly did it.
  • Have some more tea.
  • Enjoy your break.

An imperative followed by and or or can mean the same as an if-clause.

  • Walk down our street any day and you’ll see kids playing. (= If you walk …)
  • Shut up or I’ll lose my temper. (= If you don’t shut up …)
  • Don’t do that again or you’ll be in trouble.

Emphatic imperative: Do sit down.​

We can make an emphatic imperative with do (mainly BrE).

  • Do sit down.
  • Do be more careful.
  • Do forgive me.

Passive imperative: Get vaccinated.​

To tell people to arrange for things to be done to them, we often use get + past participle.

  • Get vaccinated as soon as you can.
note

For more about get as passive auxiliary, (see here).

do(n’t) be​

Although do is not normally used as an auxiliary with be (see here), this happens in negative imperatives.

  • Don’t be silly!

Do be can begin emphatic imperatives.

  • Do be quiet!

Subject with imperative: Somebody answer the phone.​

The imperative does not usually have a subject, but we can use a noun or pronoun to make it clear who we are speaking to.

  • Emily come here – everybody else stay where you are.
  • Somebody answer the phone.
  • Relax, everybody.

You before an imperative can suggest emphatic persuasion or anger.

  • You just sit down and relax for a bit.
  • You take your hands off me!

Note the word order in negative imperatives with pronoun subjects.

  • Don’t you believe it. (not You don’t believe it.)
  • Don’t anybody say a word. (not Anybody don’t say …)

Question tags​

After imperatives, common question tags ( (see here) are will you?, would you?, can you? and could you?

  • Give me a hand, will you?
  • Wait here for a minute, would you?
  • Get me something to drink, can you?

Can’t you and won’t you are more emphatic.

  • Be quiet, can’t you?
  • Sit down, won’t you?

After negative imperatives, will you? is used.

  • Don’t tell anybody, will you?

Word order with always and never​

Always and never come before imperatives.

  • Always remember what I told you. (not Remember always …)
  • Never speak to me like that again.
note

For imperative structures with let, (see here).