Imperatives in British English
Imperatives are verbs that tell others what to do.
Imperative verbs are placed at the beginning of each sentence.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use imperatives and practise using some of them.
What are imperatives?
- Imperatives are verbs that tell others what to do.
- Some verb examples – do, put, play, run.
- They are used in recipes, instructions and rules.
- To use a negative imperative – add ‘don’t’ before the verb.
- Use ‘please’ to be more polite.
Examples
Put the rubbish in the bin.
Be quiet please!
Don't run inside the house.
Remember: start your sentence with a verb.
Practise
Put the correct imperatives into the correct sentences.
Common mistakes learners make
- Adding a subject
- Using ‘not’ instead of ‘don’t’ for negatives
- Confusing imperatives with requests or questions
Common mistakes learners make
- Adding a subject
- Using ‘not’ instead of ‘don’t’ for negatives
- Confusing imperatives with requests or questions
Watch: Imperatives explained by a British tutor
In this video, Claire explains how to use imperatives and gives more examples.