The imperative mood is a grammatical mood that forms a command or request.
The imperative mood is used to demand or require that an action be performed. It is usually found only in the present tense, second person. They are sometimes called directives, as they include a feature that encodes directive force, and another feature that encodes modality of unrealized interpretation.
An example of a verb used in the imperative mood is the English phrase "Go." Such imperatives imply a second-person subject (you), but some other languages also have first- and third-person imperatives, with the meaning of "let's (do something)" or "let them (do something)" (the forms may alternatively be called hortative and jussive).
Imperative mood can be denoted by the glossing abbreviation . It is one of the irrealis moods.
Formation Imperative mood is often expressed using special conjugated verb forms. Like other finite verb forms, imperatives often inflect for person and number. Second-person imperatives (used for ordering or requesting performance directly from the person being addressed) are most common, but some languages also have imperative forms for the first and third persons (alternatively called cohortative and jussive respectively).
In English, the imperative is formed using the bare infinitive form of the verb (see English verbs for more details). This is usually also the same as the second-person present indicative form, except in the case of the verb to be, where the imperative is be while the indicative is are. (The present subjunctive always has the same form as the imperative, although it is negated differently – the imperative is negated using do not, as in "Don't touch me!"; see do-support. Occasionally do is not used: Dare not touch me!) The imperative form is understood as being in the second person (the subject pronoun you is usually omitted, although it can be included for emphasis), with no explicit indication of singular or plural. First and third person imperatives are expressed periphrastically, using a construction with the imperative of the verb let: Let me (Let's) see. (internal monologue equivalent to a first person singular imperative) Let us (Let's) go. (equivalent to a first person plural imperative) Let us be heard. (royal we in an equivalent to a first person passive imperative; also constructions like "We are to be heard") Let him/her/it/them run. (equivalent to a third person imperative; constructions with may are also used) Let him/her/it/them be counted. (equivalent to a third person passive imperative)
Other languages
Other languages such as Latin, French and German have a greater variety of inflected imperative forms, marked for person and number, their formation often depending on a verb's conjugation pattern. Examples can be found in the specific language sections below. In languages that make a T–V distinction ( vs. , vs. , vs. , vs. and , etc.) the use of particular forms of the second person imperative may also be dependent on the degree of familiarity between the speaker and the addressee, as with other verb forms.
The second person singular imperative often consists of just the stem of the verb, without any ending.
For example, Te Reo Māori has the imperative , which in addition to being put in front of sentences to command (e.g. ; "(you must) wash your hands"), is used to assert the imperative mood in sentences that would be translated as "let's (let us)" in English. An example of this is , which translates to "let us (you and me) go", but the "us" component goes last.
Syntax and negation
Imperative sentences sometimes use different syntax than declarative or other types of clauses. There may also be differences of syntax between affirmative and negative imperative sentences. In some cases the imperative form of the verb is itself different when negated. A distinct negative imperative form is sometimes said to be in prohibitive mood (abbreviated ).
Negative imperatives tell the subject to not do something. They usually begin with the verb "don't" or the negative form of a verb. e.g., example, "Don't be like that."
Many languages, even not normally null-subject languages, omit the subject pronoun in imperative sentences, as usually occurs in English (see below). Details of the syntax of imperative sentences in certain other languages, and of differences between affirmative and negative imperatives, can be found in some of the other specific language sections below.
In writing, imperative phrases and sentences may terminate in an exclamation mark (!).
Usage Imperatives are used principally for ordering, requesting or advising the listener to do (or not to do) something: "Put down the gun!", "Pass me the sauce", "Don't go too near the tiger." They are also often used for giving instructions as to how to perform a task: "Install the file, then restart your computer". They can sometimes be seen on signs giving orders or warnings "Stop", "Give way", "Do not enter".
The use of the imperative mood may be seen as impolite, inappropriate or even offensive in certain circumstances.Wierzbicka, Anna, "Cross-Cultural Pragmatics", Mouton de Gruyter, 1991. In polite speech, orders or requests are often phrased instead as questions or statements, rather than as imperatives: Could you come here for a moment? (more polite than "Come here!") It would be great if you made us a drink. (for "Make us a drink!") I have to ask you to stop. (for "Stop!")
Politeness strategies (for instance, indirect speech acts) can seem more appropriate in order not to threaten a conversational partner in their needs of self-determination and territory: according to some strands of politeness theory the partner's negative face should not appear threatened.Brown, P., and S. Levinson. "Universals in language use", in E. N. Goody (ed.), Questions and Politeness (Cambridge and London, 1978, Cambridge University Press: 56-310) As well as the replacement of imperatives with other sentence types as discussed above, there also often exist methods of phrasing an imperative in a more polite manner, such as the addition of a word like please; or a phrase like if you could; or substituting one directive for another, as in the change from will to may, e.g., "you will do that" becomes "you may / can do that".
Imperatives are also used for speech acts whose function is not primarily to make an order or request, but to give an invitation, give permission, express a wish, make an apology, et cetera: Come to the party tomorrow! (invitation) Eat the apple if you want. (permission) Have a nice trip! (wish) Pardon me. (apology)
When written, imperative sentences are often, but not always, terminated with an exclamation mark.
First person plural imperatives (cohortatives) are used mainly for suggesting an action to be performed together by the speaker and the addressee (and possibly other people): "Let's go to Barbados this year", "Let us pray". Third person imperatives (jussives) are used to suggest or order that a third party or parties be permitted or made to do something: "Let them eat cake", "Let him be executed".
There is an additional imperative form that is used for general prohibitions, consisting of the word "no" followed by the gerund form. The best known examples are "No Smoking" and "No Parking". This form does not have a positive form; that is, "Parking" by itself has no meaning unless used as a noun when it shows that parking is permitted.
The following sentences demonstrate several different forms of the imperative mood.
In the second person without personal pronouns: "Go to your cubicle!" With reflexive pronouns: "Give yourself a break." With a direct object: "Hit the ball." Referring to third-person objects of the main verb: "Okay. The test is over now. They win. Let them go back to the recovery annex. For their cake." As an affirmative imperative (also called positive imperative form): "Go for it!" As a negative imperative (also called a negative command): "Don't do that!" Expressing wishes: "Let's go team-name!" In future tense: "You will behave yourself."
In particular languages For more details on imperatives in the languages listed below, and in languages that are not listed, see the articles on the grammar of the specific languages.
Latin
Latin regular imperatives include:
infinitive 2nd person singular 2nd person plural (to love) (to advise/warn) (to hear)
The negative imperative is formed with the infinitive of the verb, preceded by the imperative of (to not want):
negative imperative positive imperative 2nd person singular (don't stand) (stand) 2nd person plural
For third-person imperatives, the subjunctive mood is used instead.
In Latin there is a peculiar tense in the imperative, which is the future tense that is used when the speaker wants the mandate to be fulfilled in the future. This tense is used mainly in laws, wills, precepts, etc. However, it is conjugated only with the third and second person singular and plural which carries as a gramme or ending for the second and third person singular, for the second person plural and for the third person plural. On the other hand, in other languages of the world there is a distinctive imperative, which also has a future value, but with a previous meaning and this is the so-called past imperative that appears in the French and Greek languages as a point of reference. See Latin conjugation.
+ Example verb conjugations in the imperative of future tense singular 2nd person 3rd person plural 2nd person 3rd person
Sentence examples of the future imperative:
(You will do my father's will.) (They will not swear falsely.) (You will not kill your brother.) (You will do what I tell you.) (You will listen to what I say.)
Germanic languages
English English usually omits the subject pronoun in imperative sentences: You work hard. (indicative) Work hard! (imperative; subject pronoun you omitted) However, it is possible to include the you in imperative sentences for emphasis.
You do that buddy!
English imperatives are negated using don't (as in "Don't work!") This is a case of do-support as found in indicative clauses; however in the imperative it applies even in the case of the verb be (which does not use do-support in the indicative): You are not late. (indicative) Don't be late! (imperative) It is also possible to use do-support in affirmative imperatives, for emphasis or (sometimes) politeness: "Do be quiet!", "Do help yourself!".
The subject you may be included for emphasis in negated imperatives as well, following don't: "Don't you dare do that again!"
Dutch A peculiar feature of Dutch is that it can form an imperative mood in the pluperfect tense. Its use is fairly common:A.M. Duinhoven, 'Had gebeld! De irreële imperatief', in: Tijdschrift voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde. Jaargang 111(1995) (You should have called!, If only you had called) (You should have come!, If only you had come)
German German verbs have a singular and a plural imperative. The singular imperative is equivalent to the bare stem or the bare stem + . (In most verbs, both ways are correct.) The plural imperative is the same as the second-person plural of the present tense.
or: – said to one person ("Sing!") – said to a group of persons ("Sing!")
In order to emphasize their addressee, German imperatives can be followed by the nominative personal pronouns ("thou; you ") or ("you "), respectively. For example: "" – "" ("Go away!" – "Why, you go away!").