Imperative Mood

Objectives of today’s lesson:

In this lesson, Learn English with Julia presents to you “Imperative Mood”, in order for you to:

• learn about the imperative mood
• complete an imperative mood worksheet
• understand the imperative tense
• understand the difference between indicative mood and imperative mood

Video Script:

Hello, today we will discover the imperative together.

What is the “imperative”? How do I use it ?

What does it actually imply?

Above all, the imperative is a grammatical mood

If you use the imperative form, it means that you are addressing a person or a group of people.
You can either address the second person subject: YOU or the first person subject, singular or plural, WE (including yourself in the group you are addressing)

So two forms. In some languages ​​there are many more. So the imperative in English is rather simple.

There is the affirmative and the negative form, and two forms for each of those forms.

You can use the imperative to give out direct orders: SHUT THE DOOR (close the door) – DO NOT SHUT THE DOOR (don’t close the door)

So as you can see, in order to create my imperative, I simply need the infinitive without “TO” (the bare infinitive)

This is the case for the second person singular and the second person plural.

You put your infinitive without “TO” at beginning of a sentence: you get an imperative.

SHUT THE DOOR

If you want the negative form, you take the infinitive without “TO”

and before you add DO NOT or DON’T (NEVER DOES NOT/DOESN’T)

So we: SHUT THE DOOR – DO NOT SHUT THE DOOR / DON’T SHUT THE DOOR

In what other cases can I use the imperative?

I can use it to give instructions

OPEN YOUR BOOK – DO NOT OPEN YOUR BOOK (Don’t open your book)

I can also use it for invitations

HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF TEA

LET’S GO

We have our second option here:

LET’S

So if I want to give an order to a group

I take the infinitive without “TO” and I add before “LET’S”

which is the contracted form of LET US

So LET’S GO = LET US GO

The negative forms: LET’S NOT GO

or LET US NOT GO.

That is the first person plural: US

You can also see the imperative on signs and notices

DO NOT ENTER – PULL THE DOOR etc.

Finally, we can also use the imperative to give friendly, informal advice

SPEAK TO HER – LET’S WAIT A LITTLE

Imperative = verb infinitive without “TO”

and before we can add DO NOT – LET’S – LET’S NOT

A few tips for the classroom:

If you want to change the tone and be less direct, less assertive:

You can add PLEASE (Please shut the door – Shut the door, please)

You can add DO to an affirmative imperative form. You add it at the very beginning:

DO SHUT THE DOOR

DO OPEN YOUR BOOK

DO HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF TEA

That makes it softer.

Or you can add a “tag question” at the end

You can say SHUT THE DOOR, WILL YOU?

LET’S GO, SHALL WE?

If all that is too unfamiliar, do not forget to watch the video on the “tag questions”

Or you can also resort to alternatives if you’re not entirely comfortable with this form yet.

You can phrase it differently

I EXPECT YOU TO

SHALL WE or YOU MIGHT WANT TO

So you have all these different forms to give informal advice, invite or give instructions

That’s all for today. Thanks for watching!

Grammar Quiz:

Keywords listed in English:

• imperative mood
• grammatical mood
• person subjects
• give orders
• give advice
• give out an invitation

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