Imperative

Sentence

We know that sentence is of five types based on meaning. They are assertive, interrogative, imperative, optative, and exclamatory. Each type has its structure and meaning. For example, an assertive sentence describes anything; an interrogative sentence asks questions, etc. This lecture is going to deal with the imperative sentence. 

The imperative sentence carries command, order, advice, request, offer, direction or instruction, wishes, desire, proposal forbiddance. So, we can see that function of an imperative sentence is many. Let’s understand with some examples.  

Here, you are ordering or commanding someone to open the door or close the window. In the third sentence, you are ordering someone to clean his or her hands.

Here, these examples belong to advice. You are advising someone to have milk instead of a soft drink because milk is good for health; on the other hand, soft drink is not. 

These examples belong to offer. 

If you look at these examples, you will see that imperative sentence starts with the base form of the verb or root form of the verb. It means that imperative sentence does not start with the past or past participle form of the verb. 

For example, “do” is a verb. “eat” is a verb. So, these two verbs are the base form of the verb. The past form of "do" is “did,” past form of “eat” is “ate,” past participle form of “do” is “done” and past participle form of “eat” is "eaten". 

Another thing you can notice is that imperative sentence does not have a subject. We have a subject in a sentence, but this subject remains implied or hidden at the beginning of the sentence. For example:

What we have come to know is that an imperative sentence starts with the base form of the verb and an imperative sentence does not have a subject. We have a subject but this subject remains implied at the beginning of the sentence. 

An imperative sentence may not start with the base form of the verb. We may start with some adverbs such as always, never, please, kindly, etc. 

In general, imperative sentence starts with the base form of the verb or root form of the verb, but sometimes, an imperative sentence may start with some adverbs. 

The imperative sentence follows another structure: Imperative sentence also starts with “let.” It follows a completely different structure: 

  let + objective form of the subject + base form of the verb. For example: 

Here, I am expressing my wish that he might have something to eat. In the first example, I am expressing my desire to do my work. In the third sentence, I am proposing someone to walk with me. So, we can see those imperative sentences, in general, start with the base form of verb, but the imperative sentence may also start with some adverbs.  

Besides, the imperative sentence follows another structure: imperative sentence starts with “let” and it follows a different structure: 

let + objective form of the subject + base form of the verb.  

Like an assertive and interrogative sentence, an imperative sentence has its negative form. This negative form starts with “don’t. 

So, we can see that we have the negative form of an imperative sentence. This negative form of imperative sentence starts with “don’t.” Moreover, we can also use “let not” instead of don’t in some cases. “Let not” is very old-fashioned. Earlier, in the Middle Ages, we used to use “let not.” If we use it now, it will sound archaic. 

Though “let not” sounds archaic, in some cases, it sounds poetic. We can use the negative form of an imperative sentence with “don’t”, but it has another use that is “let not.” 

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