Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions

Level: A1. The imperative is the form you use to tell someone what to do — a command, an instruction, a warning or a friendly invitation. It is the simplest form in English because it is just the base verb, with no subject in front of it.

The rule

The base verb is the plain dictionary form of a verb, with no ending: go, sit, open, be. An imperative uses that base verb on its own to speak directly to the person in front of you (you), so you do not say the word you:

• Open the window.
• Sit down.
• Be careful.

To make an imperative negative — to tell someone not to do something — put don’t (the short form of do not) before the base verb:

• Don’t open the window.
• Don’t be late.
• Don’t worry.

The imperative stays the same whether you speak to one person or many: Sit down works for a single child or a whole class. For a suggestion that includes yourself — something we should do together — use let’s (short for let us) plus the base verb: Let’s go, Let’s take a break.

Imperative forms

The verb be works the same way: Be quiet (positive), Don’t be shy (negative), Let’s be honest (suggestion).

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ You sit down. → ✅ Sit down. An imperative has no subject; leave out you.
• ❌ To open the door. → ✅ Open the door. Use the base verb alone, not the to-infinitive.
• ❌ Opens the window. → ✅ Open the window. Never add -s to an imperative verb.
• ❌ No touch that. → ✅ Don’t touch that. The negative is don’t + base verb, not no + verb.
• ❌ Don’t to be late. → ✅ Don’t be late. After don’t, use the base verb with no to.
• ❌ Let’s to go. → ✅ Let’s go. After let’s, use the base verb with no to.

A short conversation

A: Excuse me, how do I get to the station? B: Go straight on, then turn right at the lights. Don’t cross the bridge. A: Thank you. B: No problem. Have a good day!

Usage notes

• Politeness. A bare imperative can sound blunt. Soften it with please, or with a tag like Sit down, won’t you? In service and signs, short imperatives are normal and not rude (Pull, Keep left, Insert card).
• Recipes, directions and signs. These lean on imperatives because they are short and clear: Preheat the oven. Take the second exit. Mind the gap.
• Emphatic do. You can add do before a positive imperative for warmth or insistence: Do sit down. Do be quiet. This is friendly, not negative.
• Let’s is for the group. Let’s always includes the speaker. To tell someone else not to do something, use don’t, not let’s not.

Compared with…

• Suggestions with let’s. A command tells you what to do (Go home), while let’s suggests what we do together (Let’s go home). They share the base verb but differ in who acts. See Let’s for Suggestions.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

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