Imperative Sentences

Imperative Sentences: Overview

What is imperative sentence? There are four types of sentences in the English language: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative. They are all different types of sentences. Imperative sentences are those in which you say something, like commands, requests, advice, or instructions. An imperative sentence always has “you” as its subject, even if it’s used alone or with other people. Other than the infinitive to be, all imperative statements use a second-person present tense verb, except for the infinitive to be. Now that you know what is imperative sentence let’s move on to other factors.

How to define an Imperative Sentence?

When someone is told to do something, an imperative sentence is a type of sentence that is used (or not do to something). You can use a period or an exclamation mark to end a meaningful sentence in contrast to an interrogative sentence, where a question mark is used. 

Four different Types of Sentence Structures

For the most part, there are four different types of sentences in English, and they are:

• Declarative Sentence: A statement or opinion is expressed
• Interrogative Sentence: A question is asked
• Imperative Sentence: A request, command, warning or instruction is conveyed
• Exclamatory Sentence: A strong emotion is conveyed using an exclamatory word or clause

Imperative Sentence

It is a sentence that tells you what to do (demand, request, advice, invitation, or instruction). Here are the imperative sentence examples for you.

Consider the following examples to understand the functions better:

• Wash the clothes.
• Please move out of my way so I can go out of your way.
• Do not go near him.
• Please be on time.
• Before going to bed, don’t eat too much.
• Kindly pour some coffee for me.
• Check to see if you’ve done everything you need to do before the test.

How to write an Imperative Sentence?

As the examples above show, most imperative statements are short and to the point. There might also be a series of instructions or requests that follow one another in imperative statements.

Is it unpleasant to use Imperative Sentences?

Yes, and no. It does not have to be unpleasant or unfriendly to use imperative statements. Your goal, voice, and language all play a part in how well you do. This kind of language can be used in both a polite and an unpleasant way.

A pleasant tone of the word “please” almost always makes a sentence more polite. Sometimes, they would yell, speak with a harsh voice, or not use the word “please.”

If you need to write a lot of formal documents, you can use imperative sentences in the middle of a document to add style and impact.

Writing Imperative Sentences: Tips 

In this case, writing an imperative sentence is slightly different from writing other sentences because the subject is important to the sentence. When there is no subject in an imperative sentence, it usually starts with a verb. The reason for this is that imperative statements are commands, so they are more likely to be directed at a specific person because they are commands. A person or group of people can be assumed to be the target of the phrase without saying so.

Punctuations in Imperative Sentences

If the tone of a sentence shows anger, you should use an exclamation point to end a sentence. Like- Stop feeding the dog now! 

If you want to make an offer, forbid or just say something, use imperative sentences like- A coffee would be pleasant. At all costs, you should not eat popcorn. 

Again, it shows a request to add ‘please’ in a sentence. Like – Please don’t give the baby popcorn. You can change the emphasis and tone of a phrase that is very important to you.

Conclusion

There are a lot of times when you need to use the imperative statement in everyday English. It can be used to make demands or requests, give advice, invite someone, or give directions. Imperative phrases can be unpleasant if misused, but they can also be very effective if used correctly.