Imperatives
From TEFL World Wiki
We use the Imperative form of the verb:
- to give orders:
Stop!
Shut the door!
- to give instructions:
Add a pinch of salt and boil for fifteen minutes.
Go out the door and turn left.
- to make informal offers or invitations:
Have a drink?
Want a ride?
- to give warnings:
Don't take lifts from strangers.
Do try to take care!
Form
The form of the imperative is the same as the infinitive. To be polite, we add please to the end of the sentence:
Shut the door, please.
To tell someone we want something very much, we put please or do at the beginning:
Do tell me!
Please tell me!
We can use the imperative as a subject of a sentence. We often follow it with and:
{imperative} + {and} + {clause}
Get this done and you can leave early.
Complain again and we will leave.
Some imperatives are joined by and:
Come and sit here!
Wait and see.
In American English, go can be followed by the imperative without and:
Go get him.
Go wait in the car.
We can also join two imperatives:
Be sure to do this...
Be sure and do this...
Imperative + Object Pronoun
Look at this order given to someone:
You make him come here at once!
If we turn this into an imperative we simply take away the subject pronoun, you:
Make him come here at once!
Thus you can see that imperatives are followed by object pronouns:
Have him come into see me.
Tell her to be quiet.
