imperative
part of speech
adjective (imperative); noun (the imperative, imperatives)
meaning for a pupil
1) (grammar) The imperative is the form of a verb used to give orders, instructions or advice, like «Sit down!» or «Mix the flour». tree →
2) Imperative means extremely important or urgent, as in «It is imperative that you arrive on time». tree →
3) An imperative is something you must do, a duty or need. tree →
sense in the lessons
In English grammar lessons: imperative verbs in instructions, recipes and rules («Cut the paper. Fold it in half.»); in formal speech, «it is imperative» means it must happen; phrases: imperative verb, it is imperative that.
examples
- «Close the door» uses an imperative verb. tree →
- Recipes are full of imperatives like «stir» and «bake». tree →
- It is imperative that you wear a helmet. tree →
- Bossy verbs are imperatives. tree →
- Write instructions using imperative verbs. tree →
- Saving the forest is a moral imperative. tree →
- But he knew that he must go, for the call was imperative. tree →
note
In grammar, the imperative has no subject: «(You) sit down». Teachers often call them «bossy verbs». Formal sense is in the stiff exam voice.
In the corpora
- Bossy verbs, also called imperative verbs, tell you what to do: mix, fill, push, stir.
- Instructions use imperative (bossy) verbs at the start of steps: mix, cut, press, brush.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «imperative» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.