Imperatives

An imperative sentence gives a command, instruction, request, or piece of advice. To form an affirmative imperative, use the base form of the verb — no subject, no '-s', no auxiliary. For example: 'Open your book', 'Sit down', 'Listen carefully'. To make a negative imperative, add 'Don't' (= Do not) before the base verb: 'Don't run in the corridor', 'Don't close the window'. Notice there is no subject ('you') in either form — the subject is always understood to be the person you are speaking to. To make a command sound more polite, add 'please' at the beginning or end: 'Please come in' or 'Sit down, please'. Imperatives are used for classroom instructions ('Write your name'), signs ('Don't walk on the grass'), safety rules ('Stop at the red light'), and everyday requests ('Pass the salt, please'). The key rule: always use the bare infinitive — never a conjugated verb form. For example: Say 'Close the door', NOT 'Closes the door' or 'You close the door'.