Do you know what an imperative sentence is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on imperative sentences, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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Kevin
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December 27, 2021
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Common Questions
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What is an imperative sentence?
According to Your Dictionary, an imperative sentence is used to issue a command or instruction, make a request, or offer advice – in general, to tell someone what to do. These sentences can end with a period or an exclamation point, and are sometimes called directives. Don’t get these confused with an exclamative or exclamatory sentences – while they sometimes have some crossover, they are not the same. An exclamatory sentence expresses excitement. Imperative sentences are a direct command or instruction that can end with a full stop or exclamation point. Declarative sentences also end with a full stop, while interrogative sentences end with a question mark. The imperative form is useful for giving a form of advice, and negative imperative sentences are commands for someone not to do something. Affirmative imperative sentences tell someone to do something. The forcefulness of the command depends on the language of the sentence. Examples of this sentence type might offer advice for certain circumstances.
What is an example of an imperative sentence?
An imperative sentence can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of imperative sentences that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Take a look at these imperative sentence examples from Your Dictionary and Learn Grammar!Â
- Take a step and don’t move.
- Please grant me a loan.
- Move out of my way!
- Kindly bring the book to me.
- Do good work on your math practice tests so you don’t fail your exams.
- Log in to the portal so you can track course progress and the lesson summary.
- Wear your gold necklace with that dress.
- John, don’t eat all the cookies.
- Listen to the manuals and read the road signs for your driving test.
- Don’t eat that whelk.
- Stop feeding the dog from the table.
- Play ball!
- Consider the red dress.
- You need to travel to Georgia and Alabama this fall for work.
- Pass the salt.
- Have a cup of cappuccino.
- Find my leather jacket.
- Please join us for dinner.
- Make your own premium custom course so you can study what you want.
- Come out with us tonight.
- The unlimited access from the premium upgrade isn’t working; contact customer support.
- Don’t be excited about everything without reason.
- Be there at five.
- Don’t rush or you will fall.
- Wait for me.
- Don’t stay out at night.
- Give me a pen and a pencil.
- Please forgive my meticulousness but you have spelled it wrong.
- Choose Eamonn, not Seamus.
- You wash your hand first and then eat.
- Get out!
- Never forget the person who loves you.
- Watch your step before taking it.
- Write whenever you get a chance.
- Make sure you pack warm clothes.
- Choose the Irish wolfhound, not the German shepherd.
- Use oil in the pan.
- Bring me a glass of water.
- Remember me when we are parted.
- Clean your room.
- Don’t ever call me a loser.
- Don’t ever touch my phone.
- Preheat the oven.
- Please open the door quickly.
- Be nice to your friends.
- Play with intensity and courage.
- Shut the front door.
- Please be quiet.
- Read a lot to improve your writing skill.
- Complete these by tomorrow.
What are other literary techniques and devices?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these terms because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of grammatical devices from OED and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.Â
- direct object
- infinitive
- interrogative
- conjunction (conj.)
- anticipatory
- bare infinitive
- postmodify | postmodifier
- possessive pronoun
- element
- conditional
- positive
- simple
- participial adjective
- adjective
- singular
- compound sentence
- cataphoric
- subject
- appositive
- adverbial | adverbially
- predicative
- subjective
- collective noun
- part of speech
- case
- gerund
- mass noun
- compound sentence
- quasi-
- adverb (adv.)
- filler
- indicative
- subordinate compound sentence
- modal verb | modal auxiliary verb | modal auxiliary
- auxiliary verb | auxiliary
- demonstrative
- complement
- copular verb | copula
- participle | past participle | present participle
- similative
- concrete
- indefinite
- inflection | inflected | inflectional
- passive infinitive
- non-finite
- pleonasm | pleonastic
- dual
- indirect object
- double object
- mood
- nominal relative | nominal relative compound sentence
- phrase (phr.)
- apodosis and protasis
- premodify | premodifier
- agree | agreement
- special use
- declarative
- objective
- protasis
- non-referential
- agent noun
- intensifier
- verb (v.)
- noun phrase
- finite
- antecedent
- compound | compounding
- optative
- passive
- verbal noun
- first person
- preposition (prep.)
- dative
- direct question
- compound sentence
- vocative
- absolute (absol.)
- plural
- superlative
- main verb
- periphrasis | periphrastic
- that-compound sentence
- to-infinitive
- pro-form
- combination
- locative
- stem
- accusative
- past participle
- pronoun (pron.)
- neuter
- imperative (imper.)
- personal pronoun
- attributive
- impersonal (impers.)
- construction
- interjection
- article
- combining form (comb. form)
- active
- indirect speech
- morpheme
- modify | modifier
- abstract
- masculine
- present tense
- collocation | collocate
- present participle
- third-person
- comparative
- person
- subjunctive
- common noun
- complementary
- noun (n.)
- phrasal verb
- relative
- instrumental
- ellipsis | elliptical
- head
- perfect
- genitive
- cognate object
- tense
- number
- prepositional phrase
- past tense
- direct speech
- definite article
- zero
- construed (const., constr.)
- reflexive
- transitive
- proper noun | proper name
- anaphoric
- feminine
- second person
- prepositional object
- possessive adjective
- progressive
- prepositional passive
- sentence adverb |sentence adverbial
- parasynthetic
- indirect question
- indirect passive
- base form
- nominative
- intransitive
- causative
- object | direct object | indirect object
- possessive
- unmarked genitive
- main compound sentence
- determiner
- apposition
- gender
- parenthetical | parenthetically
- count noun
- prefix
Overall, an imperative sentence issues a command or advice.
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