Giving Simple Commands in English: Imperatives for A1 Learners

“Open your book,” “Turn left,” and “Please wait here” all tell someone what to do. These sentences use the imperative, a useful form for instructions, directions, warnings, and invitations.

An imperative normally starts with the base form of a verb. The listener is the understood subject, so you usually leave out you: say “Sit down,” rather than “You sit down” for a neutral instruction.

How to form an imperative

Use the same verb form for one listener or several listeners. Do not add -s, even when you are speaking to one person.

“Listen carefully” can address one student or a whole class. “She listens carefully” is different: it describes what she does and needs an explicit subject.

An imperative can occasionally include you for emphasis, contrast, or a sharp instruction: “You stay here, and I’ll get help.” At beginner level, use the shorter form unless you have a clear reason to stress the listener.

Positive and negative instructions

A positive imperative tells the listener to do something. A negative imperative tells the listener to avoid an action, using don’t before the base verb.

Compare “Touch the screen” with “Don’t touch the screen.” The negative of “Be late” is “Don’t be late,” not “Not be late.” In formal notices, you may see the full form: “Do not enter.”

Instructions in the classroom

A teacher might say “Open your books on page ten” and then “Read the first sentence.” If the class needs to pause, the teacher can say “Stop writing and listen.”

Teacher: Work in pairs. Ask your partner the first question.
Student: Sorry, could you say that again?
Teacher: Work with the person next to you. Take turns asking questions.

Work in pairs means work with one other person. Take turns means one person acts first, and the other person acts next.

Directions and everyday tasks

Directions often join two short instructions: “Go straight ahead, then turn right.” Recipes work in a similar way: “Add the milk and mix well.” The verb tells you the next action.

For a sequence, use first, then, and finally. For example: “First, wash the tomatoes. Then cut them into small pieces. Finally, put them in a bowl.”

How to make an instruction polite

Add please at the beginning or end: “Please close the window” or “Close the window, please.” Your tone and relationship with the listener also matter. A quiet instruction from a teacher can sound natural, while the same words spoken sharply to a stranger may sound rude.

For many everyday requests, a question is a softer choice. “Could you close the window, please?” is a request in question form; it is not grammatically an imperative.

Not every imperative is a command. “Enjoy your meal” expresses a wish, and “Have some cake” can be an offer. The situation helps you understand the speaker’s intention.

Making suggestions with let’s

Use let’s + base verb to suggest an action that includes the speaker. “Let’s take a break” means that you and the listener can take a break together.

The usual negative form is let’s not: “Let’s not leave yet.” Compare “Start now,” which directs the listener, with “Let’s start now,” which includes the speaker.

Ana: This question is difficult.
Ben: Let’s read the example first.
Ana: Good idea. Don’t tell me the answer yet.

Common mistakes to correct

Leaving out the subject is normally correct in an imperative. The mistake is adding the wrong verb form, not failing to write you.

Practice: choose the right instruction

Complete each sentence or rewrite it as requested. Think about both the grammar and the situation before checking the answers.

1. You want a student to read: “_____ the question carefully.” Use read or reads.
2. Tell someone not to open a box: “_____ open the box.”
3. Correct this instruction: “Don’t to touch the paint.”
4. Invite a visitor to sit down using please.
5. Suggest that you and your friend go home together. Begin with Let’s.
6. You are asking a stranger to move a bag. Which is usually softer: “Move your bag” or “Could you move your bag, please?”
7. Correct this sentence: “Be not afraid.” Use the usual everyday negative form.
8. Write two instructions for making a sandwich. Use first and then.

Answers and explanations

1. Read. The imperative uses the base verb, with no -s.
2. Don’t. “Don’t open the box” tells the listener to avoid the action.
3. Don’t touch the paint. Remove to after don’t.
4. Sit down, please or Please sit down. Either position of please works.
5. Let’s go home. The suggestion includes both people.
6. Could you move your bag, please? This is a question used as a polite request.
7. Don’t be afraid. Use don’t before be.
8. One possible answer is “First, put some cheese on the bread. Then add a slice of tomato.” Other clear, grammatical instructions are also possible.

Try giving three instructions for something you do every day. Read them aloud, check that each main verb is in the base form, and decide whether the listener needs a direct instruction or a polite request.