What is an Imperative Sentence | And How to Uses It's

Definition of Imperative Sentences

Imperative Sentences! What is an imperative sentence? The imperative sentence is one that gives advice or instruction. This is a topic that we see very often in English, both spoken and written, and so you should know how these sentences work.

In this section, we look at different types of imperative sentences as well as how to use them. This will give you the opportunity to create your own an imperative sentences that are grammatically correct, making your English word more fluent.

What is an Imperative Sentence

An imperative sentence gives a demand, order, or instruction directly to an audience, and usually begins with a verb word (or verb). These sentences often lack a subject or person, place or thing that performs the main verb. This is because the subject of this type of sentence tends towards the viewer who is directly addressed or instructed to do something.

How to Write an Imperative Sentence?

Writing an Imperative sentence is bit several than other types of sentences, mainly because of the subject matter. Imperative sentences usually start with a verb and seem to be missing something! 

However, this is because an imperative sentences are given directly to someone because they give orders directly. Since the sentence is meant to be directed at a person or group of people, it is usually unnecessary to name the topic.

To make it easier to understand, let's try to add a person's name at the beginning of some important sentences:

• Alex, please don’t give the dog popcorn.
• Drivers, drive the car slowly.
• Sami, eat your popcorn!
• Everybody be quiet!

Watch A Video Summary of Usage

That although both imperative and exclamatory sentences can end with a forgotten sign, they have different grammatical forms and they serve different purposes.

For a better understanding, watch this video on chapters or How to Write an Imperative Sentence? Then it will help to understand the matter more easily.

Uses of Imperative Sentences

The main use of imperative speech is to give orders and do something by someone. The one who gives the order has the power to do that and he hopes that the order will be obeyed.

Examples:

• Manager to clerk: Keep all your records up to date in three days.
• Father to son: Don’t go out without my permission.
• Mother to daughter: Clean your reading room.

Orders above can be made less abruptly as indicated below.

• You must keep your records up to date in three days.
• You must take my permission before going out.
• You must clean your reading room.

Imperative Sentences and Question Tags

To make the imperative sentences even stronger, question tags, what do you do? won’t you?, would you?, can you, can’t you, and could you? can be used. But the most commonly used question tags are "will you?” and “won’t you?”

We can use the positive tag, “will you?” When an imperative sentence must be positive the sentence is in the normal sense. Similarly, in the case of a negative imperative sentence, if the sentence is in the normal sense, we can use negative question tag, “won’t you?”

If the sentences are in the serious sense, 'won’t you?' must used with positive imperative sentence and positive question tag, “will you?” must used with negative imperative sentence.

Example:

• Come out, will you?
• Can you park nearby? 
• Don’t open the window, won’t you?
• Send me that gmail, will you?
• Pass the potatoes, won't you?
• Will you go to the game with me?
• Take me out to the game, won't you?

Conclusion

The imperative sentence is extremely effective for everyday English conversation. It can help you make claims or requests, give advice, extend an invitation or give directions. But, be careful when using the imperative sentences, as they can become rude if you do not use the right tone or words. Fortunately, you can easily solve this problem by saying "please" using a friendly tone, or simply changing the sentence you need to the interrogative sentence!