Gateway to Grammar: The imperative clause for orders

Give those guys some cheese Karen! That is an order! It is also imperative (which means important). The name of the grammar used to give orders? The imperative!

The imperative clause (a way of giving instructions and orders) is a little bit strange because we don’t use any pronouns (he/she/they/you..):

• Go to bed!

• Stop eating doughnuts!

• Look me in the eye!

• Be quiet!

So, who are we talking about? Well, we are usually talking to “you”. This is what those imperative phrases look like with the word “you” in them:

• Go to bed! (You go to bed!)

• Stop eating doughnuts! (You stop eating doughnuts!)

• Look me in the eye! (You look me in the eye!)

• Be quiet! (You be quiet!)

It is usually quite clear who we are giving orders to though, as we are looking them in the eye when we say it. That is why we do not use the word “you” when giving orders. So, what happens when you give orders to more than one person, or one person in a group? Then you use individual and group names. Look at these examples:

• Go to bed kids!

• Stop eating doughnuts Jeremy!

• Look me in the eye year 12!

• Alice and Bert, be quiet!

Practice using the imperative! That’s an order!