What Is the Imperative Mood? | Definition & Examples
The imperative mood is a verb form used to give commands, instructions, or advice.
In English, there are three grammatical moods: indicative mood, imperative mood, and subjunctive mood.
In imperative sentences, a second-person subject (i.e., “you”) is typically implied but not directly stated.
Eat your dinner.
Don’t go in there!
What is the imperative mood?
Every sentence has a grammatical mood, which describes the sentence’s attitude and intention. The imperative mood is one of three possible grammatical moods in English.
| Grammatical mood | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative | State a fact
Express a condition Ask a question |
Jin likes roses.
If it rains, we will move inside. Where do I turn? |
| Imperative | Make a demand or suggestion | Stop that! |
| Subjunctive | Describe a hypothetical scenario
Express a demand, suggestion, or wish |
If I were rich, I would buy a mansion.
I suggest that Ellen resign. |
Using the imperative mood
The imperative mood is used to give warnings or make suggestions or demands. It is commonly used on road signs, in recipes and instruction manuals, in GPS navigation directions, and when giving advice or instructions to another person or to a virtual or AI tool.
In the imperative mood, verbs do not follow subject-verb agreement. Rather, the infinitive form of the verb is used (e.g., “go,” “watch”). The implied subject of imperative sentences is the second-person pronoun “you.” The pronoun is rarely included in the sentence, though.
Imperative sentences often end with an exclamation point to highlight the strength of the demand. Exclamation points are not required, though, and can sometimes make a command seem too forceful for the context.
Dice the onions.
At the light, turn right.
Remind me to mail that package tomorrow.
In certain contexts, imperative mood sentences may seem overly direct or rude (e.g., “Make these corrections by Friday”).There are several ways to soften imperative statements. For example, the word “please” can be added to the beginning of the statement.To soften the tone even further, the imperative statement can be rephrased as a question using a modal verb (e.g., “could,” “would”).
- Please make these corrections by Friday.
- Could you make these corrections by Friday, please?
- Could you please make these corrections by Friday?
Negative imperative statements
In the imperative mood, negative constructions are formed by placing “do not” (or the contraction “don’t”) before the imperative verb.
Do not eat the purple berries.
First-person plural imperatives
First-person plural imperatives are used when suggesting that both the speaker and their audience perform an action. They are formed using the imperative verb and a combination of the verb “let” and the first-person plural object pronoun “us” (i.e., “let us” or “let’s).
Let us pray.
Negative first-person plural imperatives can be formed by placing the adverb “not” between “let us” or “let’s” and the imperative verb.
Let’s not end the night yet.
“Let us” is a very formal construction. Typically, “let’s” is used in everyday speech and writing. “Let us” appears more in religious or historical contexts.
Imperative mood and reflexive pronouns
Because the implied subject of imperative sentences is “you,” the only reflexive pronouns used are “yourself” (singular) and “yourselves” (plural). The object form (e.g., “me,” “us,” “her,” “him,” “it”) of all other pronouns is used.
- Call Andrew or myself.
- Call Andrew or me.
- Stop being so hard on you.
- Stop being so hard on yourself.
Imperative vs indicative statements
Imperative statements give a command or make a suggestion, while indicative statements state a fact.
The imperative form of most verbs (e.g., “make”) is the same as the second-person present indicative form (e.g., “you make”). The verb “be” is an exception; the infinitive form “be” is used in the imperative, while “are” is used in the indicative.
Most imperative sentences can be changed to indicative by including the second-person pronoun. For sentences that use “be,” the form of the verb must also be changed.
You eat quickly.
Be quiet.
You are quiet.
Frequently asked questions about the imperative mood
- What is the subject of an imperative sentence?
-
Imperative sentences have an implied (or understood) subject, the second-person pronoun “you.” This pronoun is rarely stated in the sentence (e.g., “Take the trash out”).
The verb form for imperative sentences is the infinitive (e.g., “go,” “be,” “walk”).
- What is the imperative used for?
-
The imperative mood is used to tell somebody what to do. This includes the following:
- Warnings (e.g., “Do not enter”)
- Instructions or directions (e.g., “Choose the best answer” or “Turn left here”)
- Advice (e.g., “Wear the black shoes instead of the brown ones”)
- Commands (e.g., “Halt!”)
- Requests (e.g., “Please save me a seat”)
- What is an imperative verb?
-
The imperative mood is a verb form used to express a command, instructions, or advice.
Verbs in the imperative mood use the infinitive form (e.g., “buy some parsley”). The implied subject of an imperative sentence is “you,” the second-person pronoun. However, the pronoun is not typically included in the sentence.
