What is the Imperative Mood?

Imperative mood definition: The imperative mood is the grammatical form used when giving a command or a request.

What is Imperative Mood?

Imperative mood meaning: When forming a request or command, a sentence is written in the imperative mood.

Imperative Mood Examples:

• Lindsey, please go clean your room.
• After you have cleaned your room, take the trash out to the garage.
• Don’t stop on second base; run to third!

What is Mood? – Grammatical Moods Explained

What does mood mean? Mood, in the grammatical sense, is the form in which a verb takes to show how it should be regarded. Is the writer expressing a fact, a command, or something hypothetical? The mood of the verb indicates this.

In English, there are many different grammatical moods. Here, we will briefly outline three: indicative, imperative and subjunctive.

The indicative mood expresses a statement or a question.

Indicative Mood Examples:

• My goals for the year are to read and exercise more.
• Are you going to the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie?

The imperative mood expresses a command.

Imperative Mood Examples:

• Please go walk the dog.
• Turn the music down, so I can hear the news.

The subjunctive mood expresses a situation that is doubtful, hypothetical, not factual.

Subjunctive Mood Examples:

• If she were to be elected mayor, the city would be in trouble.
• If I were you, I would be careful of what I wish for because you may be filled with regrets.

What Does the Imperative Mood Communicate?

The imperative mood communicates a command to your readers or listeners. There are few different types of commands that the imperative mood will indicate.

Types of Commands

Positive Command: A positive command is used to encourage someone to take action with your request.

• Pay your bills on time.
• Walk the dog before it starts raining.

Negative Command: A negative command used to encourage someone to stop doing an action.

• Don’t talk with your mouth full of food.
• Stop arguing with your brother.

Polite Request: These positive commands will include a word or phrase of encouragement such as “please” or “shall/will.”

• Please, refrain from cell phone use during instructional time.
• Hold the door, please.
• Stop the car, will you?

Command Including You: these commands will include the speaker in the requested action.

• Let’s go to the grocery store before we go home.
• Let’s listen to what the speaker has to say because it may be important.

Structure of an Imperative Sentence

With imperative sentences, you will notice that they will typically start with a verb and do not include a subject. This is because these sentences have an implied subject of you.

While the sentence may include “you” at the beginning, it isn’t necessary.

Imperative You Examples:

Here are some examples of what the imperative sentence looks like with/without you added as the subject.

• Pay your bills on time. > You need to pay your bills on time.
• Stop arguing with your brother. > You, stop arguing with your brother.

Notice, because we are asking someone to do something when we use the imperative mood, our verbs are written in the present tense.

• Run to the end of the block and back five times.
• Read your novel everyday for 20 minutes.

Summary: What Does Imperative Mood Mean?

Define imperative mood: The imperative mood is a form that expresses a command or request.

Final examples:

• Enjoy your summer vacation in the Bahamas.
• Let’s talk when you get back home.