IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
Imperatives are used 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 peoples welfare.
Affirmativ e imperatives have the same form as the infinitive without to:
Come here. Be quiet. Speak louder. Sto p talking!
Try again you nearly did it. Have some more tea.
Enjoy your holiday. Look in the mirror before you drive off.
Negative imperatives are constructed with do not (dont):
Dont worry about it. Dont cross the street here.
Please do not lean out of the window. Dont be silly.
Commands are generally spoken with a falling tone. They can be softened and made into requests with the help of the word please , a rising tone, a tag question or a question beginning with the words will, would, could:
Come here, please. Repeat the last word, will you?
Will (would, could) you open the window?
We can make an emphatic imperative with do :
Do sit down. Do be more careful. Do forgive me. Do be quiet!
English does not have first-person imperative (used to suggest that I or we should do something) or a third-person imperative (for other people, not the hearer). These ideas are often expressed by a structure with let :
Let him try again. Let me see. Let them come in. Let him wait.
Let us (lets) have some tea. Let me do the room myself.
There are two negative constructions with let for the first person:
Lets not speak about it.
Dont lets speak about it.
A third person command admits only one negative construction:
Dont let him watch TV in the evening.
EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Express requests using the models.
A. Model: Ask (tell) John to shut the door. - John, shut the door, please.
1. Ask Bob to give you a call after five. 2. Ask Mary to buy a birthday present. 3. Tell Nelly to pay for the Internet. 4. Tell Olga to lay the table for three. 5. Tell Andrew to be careful. 6. Ask Peter to buy some bread on his way home. 7. Tell Sam to turn off music. 8. Advise him to think again before he decides.
B. Model: Ask (tell) John not to shut the door. - John, dont shut the door, please.
1. Ask Nick not to speak so loudly. 2. Ask your mother not to get up early tomorrow. 3. Tell Ann not to read at lunch. 4. Tell Kate not to send him a telegram. 5. Tell Susie not to come home so late. 6. Ask Janet not to waste money on sweets. 7. Ask her not to tell me what to do. 8. Tell her not to make a white sauce.
Exercise 2. Make the following imperative sentences negative.
1. Give this letter to your boss. 2. Invite your boyfriend to the party. 3. Read the text aloud. 4. Smile when you are talking to me. 5. Take her to your parents place. 6. Wait for him for an hour. 7. See this film. 8. Take a taxi. 9. Get up! 10. Forget about it.
Exercise 3. Express polite requests instead of commands.
Model: Come here! Will (would) you come here, please?
1. Make me a call at three! 2. Come and baby-sit tonight! 3. Meet me at the station! 4. Wash up the dishes! 5. Speak to your teacher at school! 6. Turn on the light! 7. Explain it to me! 8. Stay at home on Saturday! 9. Tell me the truth! 10. Move out of the way! 11. Remember to post the letter! 12. Go to bed at once!
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Exercise 4.
A. Read the following:
How to Be Fit
Dont stay in bed in the morning too long.
Dont forget to do morning exercises.
Dont eat your breakfast.
Dont be late for classes.
Dont take lunch to school.
Dont eat sandwiches in class.
Dont sit in one place during the breaks.
Dont drink too much water and other drinks.
Dont say you are hungry when you are.
Dont eat chocolates or cakes.
Dont take a bus when you can walk.
Dont go to parties where they serve good food.
Dont smoke or drink alcohol.
Dont use drugs.
Dont visit doctors unnecessarily.
Dont lie on the sofa when you watch TV or listen to music.
Dont go to bed during the day.
B. Give similar recommendations to your friend about:
a) how to make a good career;
b) how to become a famous scientist;
c) how to marry successfully.
