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Imperative sentences are commands that start with a verb and have an unstated subject of “you.” They are always in the present tense and commonly used in speech and writing, especially in instructions and dialogues.
An imperative sentence is a sentence that gives a command. These sentences generally begin with a verb and lack a stated subject. The subject, however, is always the second person “you” and is therefore understood without being explicitly stated.
Three things are common to all imperative sentences. First, everyone commands someone to do something. Second, they all use an unstated “you,” also called “you understand,” as the subject. Third, they all start with a verb or the word “please” followed by a verb.
Commands are generally given to one or more people present. For example, you wouldn’t say “wash your hands” to someone you aren’t talking to directly. If a person wanted to tell someone not present to wash their hands, they could inform someone nearby to “tell them to wash their hands”. The command then changes from “wash” to “tell” and is still given to an individual present.
Imperative sentences cannot have a subject other than “you”. Although the subject is normally omitted from an imperative sentence, “you” can be placed in front of the sentence and will still make sense. For example, “pick up those clothes.” Another pronoun cannot be placed in front of the verb and the sentence retains the same meaning. Saying “collect those clothes” is grammatically incorrect since the correct verb form for singular pronouns is “choice” and not “choice”.
However, replacing “him” with “them” does not translate into a command. Even though “they collect clothes” is a grammatically correct sentence, its meaning is no longer a command. Instead, this sentence states what “they” are doing rather than telling “them” to do it.
An imperative sentence is always in the present tense because commands are given in the now, not in the past or future. For example, changing “go” in the command “go to the store” in the past or future tense makes the sentence confusing and grammatically incorrect. “I went to the store” or “I’m going to the store” leaves the reader wanting to know the “who” or subject of the sentence. These sentences are no longer commands.
While most commonly found in speech, imperative sentences also have their place in writing. In fiction, they can be found in dialogues. More often than not, however, readers will come across an imperative sentence in the instructions. Recipes or step-by-step instructions use commands to give directions. Indeed, in most instructions, each step begins with an imperative sentence.
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