The imperative mood

When we say Have a drink, Come here or Sleep well, we are using imperative verb forms: have, come and sleep.

I. Formation

Imperativeshave exactly the same form as the infinitive without to. We use them for ordering, directing, prohibiting, warning, giving advice, giving instructions, encouraging people and so on.

• Be sensible.
• Stop her.
• Put that gun down.

Negative imperatives are made with don’t or do not.

• Don’t worry – everything will be all right.
• Do not lean out of the window.
• Don’t be afraid of them.

You can also form a negative imperative by putting 'never' in front of the base form of a verb.

• Never open the front door without looking through the peephole.

We can make an emphatic imperative with do. This is common in polite requests, complaints and apologises.

• Do sit down.
• Do forgive me – I didn’t mean to interrupt.
• Do be quiet!

Add yourself/yourselves to verbs like help, enjoy, behave:

• Help yourself!

If we are talking to groups of people, we can use imperative with everybody, somebody/anybody, nobody:

• Everybody keep quiet. Keep quiet, everybody.
• Nobody say a word!
• Don’t say a word, anybody. Don’t anybody say a word.

After imperatives we can use the question tags will you? won’t you? would you? can you? could you? can’t you?

• Come and help me, will you?
• Give me a cigarette, could you?
• Be quiet, can’t you?

We add will you? won’t you? can’t you? to express annoyance:

• Stop shouting, will you?

We add would you? could you? can you? for neutral requests:

• Post this for me, would you?

We add will you? won’t you? for friendly offers:

• Take a seat, will you?

You can use the imperative mood with some verbs when you are explaining something and you want the listener or reader to think about a particular thing or possibility, or to compare two things.

• Take, for instance, the new proposals for student loans.
• For example, compare a typical poor country like Indonesia with a rich one like Canada.
• Consider, for example, the contrast between the way schools today treat space and time.

II. Imperatives with ' let'

'Let' is used in imperative sentences in four different ways:

1) It is used to give an order or instruction.

• Let Phillip have a look at it.
• Let Philip not have a look at it.

2) You use it followed by 'us' when you are making a suggestion about what you and someone else should do. 'Let us' is almost always shortened to 'Let's'.

• Let's not go outside.
• Let us not go outside.
• Let's creep forward on hands and knees.

3) You use it followed by 'me' when you are offering to do something.

• Let me take your coat.
• Let me not tell him everything!

4) In very formal English, it is used to express a wish.

• Let the joy be universal.
• Let confusion live!

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