Sentence types · CEFR A1 · Starting
Imperatives — English sentence types
Instructions and requests. Add "please" to soften it.
The shape
Plain verb, no subject
Give an instruction that does not sound rude.
In Hindi
निर्देश और अनुरोध। नरम करने के लिए "please" जोड़िए।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
You sit down. | Please sit down. "You" in front turns an instruction into an accusation. |
Imperatives examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
Come here.
यहाँ आओ।
Go there.
वहाँ जाओ।
Sit down.
बैठ जाओ।
Stand up.
खड़े हो जाओ।
Look at this.
इसे देखो।
Open the door.
दरवाज़ा खोलो।
Close the door.
दरवाज़ा बंद करो।
Open the window.
खिड़की खोलो।
Listen to me.
मेरी बात सुनो।
Wait a moment.
थोड़ा इंतज़ार करो।
also correct: Wait a little.
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Could you…? Would you mind…?A2Ask for something without sounding like an order
- Let's…A1Propose doing something together
Questions people ask
- What is the imperatives used for?
- Instructions and requests. Add "please" to soften it. In practice: give an instruction that does not sound rude.
- How do you form the imperatives?
- Plain verb, no subject.
- What is the most common mistake with the imperatives?
- Saying “You sit down.” instead of “Please sit down.”. "You" in front turns an instruction into an accusation.
Where imperatives fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Imperatives is a CEFR A1 structure — the starting band — and it belongs to sentence types. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the imperatives →