The imperative is used to give commands, instructions or make requests.
It is a way to express direct orders or suggestions.
You can use imperatives in different situations:
1. Giving instructions or commands:
Please close the door.
Por favor, cierra la puerta.
Turn off the lights.
Apaga las luces.
2. Making requests or giving advice:
Please be quiet.
Por favor, silencio.
Give me a hand, please.
Dame un mano, por favor.
3. Expressing warnings or prohibitions:
Don't touch that!
¡No toques eso!
Don't smoke here.
No fumes aquí.
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You can form positive, negative, open-ended and closed-ended questions with the imperative:
1. Positive Sentences:
Listen carefully.
Escucha atentamente.
Visit the famous landmarks.
Visita los lugares famosos.
2. Negative Sentences:
Don't be late.
No llegues tarde.
Don't forget your passport.
No olvides tu pasaporte.
3. Open-ended Questions:
Could you please help me?
¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor?
Can you lend me some money?
¿Me podrías prestar algo de dinero?
4. Closed-ended Questions:
Will you please pass the salt?
¿Me pasas la sal, por favor?
Could you give me directions to the nearest station?
¿Me podrías dar indicaciones para llegar a la estación más cercana?
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It's important to note that the imperative form is generally used with the second-person pronouns (you/usted). However, when addressing a group, the pronoun "you" is used.
1. Present Tense:
Eat your dinner.
Come tu cena.
Remember to call me.
Recuerda llamarme.
2. Past Tense:
Don't forget to do your homework.
No olvides hacer tu tarea.
Be quiet during the movie.
Estad callados durante la película.
3. Future Tense:
Pack your bags for the trip.
Empaquen sus maletas para el viaje.
Don't be late for the meeting tomorrow.
No lleguen tarde a la reunión de mañana.
It's important to understand that the imperative doesn't have a specific future tense.
Instead, we use the present tense to convey future instructions or commands.
Let's look at when it is not applicable:
1. Polite requests: to be formal or polite, we often use "could you...?" or "would you mind...?" instead of the imperative.
Could you please close the window?
¿Podrías cerrar la ventana, por favor?
Would you mind passing me the salt?
¿Te importaría pasarme la sal?
2. Expressing wishes or suggestions: we usually use other forms like "Let's..." or "we should..." instead of the imperative.
Let's have dinner together tonight.
Cenemos juntos esta noche.
We should visit Stonehenge when we're in England.
Deberíamos visitar Stonehenge cuando estamos en Inglaterra.
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