Grammar-Quizzes › Clauses › Subordinate Clauses › Imperatives
Subordinate Imperatives (Mandative Clauses)
Restate a command within a clause (reported or indirect speech)
Quoted vs. Restated Imperative (Command)
| QUOTED IMPERATIVE | |
|---|---|
A quoted imperative includes a main clause, often with the verb "say", and includes quoted words enclosed in quotation marks (the exact words of the quote). The quoted speech may be placed before or after the main clause: "Get some rest," the doctor said / The doctor said, "Get some rest." |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | IMPERATIVE |
The doctor said, |
"Get some rest." |
The doctor told me some advice. |
"Get some rest." |
The doctor said, |
"Don't smoke." |
The doctor told me some advice. |
"Don't smoke." |
The doctor said, |
"Call me immediately." |
| REPORTED IMPERATIVE | |
|---|---|
A reported imperative usually includes say or tell in the main clause followed by the content of the quote expressed as (1) a subordinate clause (that followed by a clause) or (2) an infinitive (to follwed by a plain form verb). |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | REPORTED SPEECH |
The doctor said |
(that)¹ I should rest. to get some rest. not to get tired. |
The doctor told me |
to get some rest. not to get tired. |
The doctor said |
(that) I shouldn't smoke. to avoid smoking. not to smoke. |
The doctor told me |
to stop smoking. not to smoke. |
The doctor said |
(that) I should call him immediately. to call immediately. not to delay calling him. |
An imperative verb is one that expresses an order or strong obligation for someone to do something.
that + a clause tends to be used in more formal contexts. The verb in the that-clause includes the subjunctive verb form, the plain form of the verb. (No -s is added for 3rd person singular.)
¹Including that before the subordinated clause is optional with verbs such as say and think. We tend to omit "that" in speech and include "that" in writing. That is required in more formal contexts. (Azar 253) (Huddleston 953) (Quirk 681)
Also see: Command Verbs w/ Infinitives
Reported Speech Verbs
- say (V) – speak or pronounce words→ He said (that) walking was good exercise.
- tell (V) – speak or pronounce words (to someone) → She told me (that) walking was good exercise.
Also see Synonyms for "Said" (list).
Imperatives with Infinitives
Expressing advice in a general way
Infinitive & Negative Infinitive
| INFINITIVE | |
|---|---|
The verb in the main clause is usually say or tell followed by an infinitive clause with an infinitival form: to + plain form verb. Because the infinitive is not marked for person or tense, it expresses the order or the advice in a general way. |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
(Remove punctuation.) The doctor said, |
"Get some rest." |
(1) subordinate marker¹ |
— |
(2) word order [S-V] |
— |
(3) person & number |
— |
(4) tense / verb form |
|
(5) time / place |
— |
The doctor said The doctor told me |
to get some rest. |
| NEGATIVE INFINITIVE | |
|---|---|
The verb in the main clause is usually say or tell followed by an infinitive clause with not and an infinitival form: to + plain form verb. |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
The doctor said, |
"Don't smoke." |
(1) subordinate marker |
— |
(2) word order [S-V] |
|
(3) person & number |
|
(4) tense / verb form |
|
(5) time / place |
|
The doctor said The doctor told me |
not to smoke. to¹ not smoke. |
¹subordinate marker – that (not used with an infinitival clause)
¹An infinitive is currently analyzed as to (the subordinator) + plain form verb. Placing not before the verb is more emphatic. The grammar rule regarding not splitting infinitives has little or no support among current grammarians. (There is nothing to split since to is the infinitival subordinator and not part of the verb form.) See Nonfinite Infinitives and Splitting a Verb or Infinitive.
Restating Imperatives
Adjusting imperatives to indirect speech
Using should vs a subjunctive verb
| THAT — SHOULD + VERB | |
|---|---|
The verb in the main clause is mostly say or tell and the verb in the subordinate clause is a modal such as should, ought or verb such as need. Because the clause includes a subject, it expresses the order or the advice in a more direct, personal way. |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
(Remove punctuation.) The doctor said, |
"Get some rest." |
(1) subordinate marker |
that (you) get some rest |
(2) word order [S-V] |
— |
(3) person & number |
|
(4) verb form "should" |
|
(5) time / place |
— |
The doctor said… The doctor told me… |
that I should get some rest. |
| THAT — SUBJUNCTIVE VERB | |
|---|---|
The verb in the main clause is verb with an imperative meaning ("command verb") and the verb in the subordinate clause is plain form (base form). Adjustments in time, person, place, and direction relate the clause to the speaker's perspective. |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
The doctor advised, |
"Come to my office today." |
(1) subordinate marker |
that (he) come to my office today |
(2) word order [S-V] |
—
|
(3) person & number |
|
(4) subjunctive verb form |
|
(5) time / place |
that he go to his office that same day |
The doctor advised… |
that he go to his office that same day. |
¹subordinate marker – that
Unlike say, tell requires an indirect object.)
Subjunctive Some languages have special verb forms called subjunctive, which are used especially to talk about unreal situations; things which are possible, desirable or imaginary. Older English had subjunctives, but in modern English they have mostly been replaced by uses of should, would and other modal verbs, by uses of past tenses, and by ordinary verb forms.
"English only has a few subjunctive forms left: third-person singular present verbs with out -s (e.g. she see, he have) and special forms of be (e.g. I be, he were). Except for I/he/she/it were after if, they are not very common." (Swan 567)
Subjunctive Verb Form
Expressing what should happen
That + Clause with plain form verb
| SINGULAR |
|---|
The plain form verb (simple, base form) is used in the clause after that (a subordinator) for first, second and third person singular. |
| 1ST PERSON |
The doctor said that I should be careful. The doctor advised that I be careful. The doctor advised that I not be careless. |
The doctor advised that I get¹ some rest. The doctor advised that I not get² too tired. |
| 2ND PERSON |
The doctor said that you should be careful. The doctor advised that you be careful. The doctor advised that you not be careless. |
The doctor advised that you get some rest. The doctor advised that you not get too tired. |
| 3RD PERSON |
The doctor said that she/he should be careful. The doctor advised that she/he be careful. The doctor advised that she/he not be careless. |
The doctor advised that she/he get some rest. The doctor advised that she/he not get too tired. |
| PLURAL |
|---|
The plain form verb (simple, base form) is used in the clause after that (a subordinator) for first, second and third person plural. |
| 1ST PERSON |
The doctor said that we should be careful. The doctor advised that we be careful. The doctor advised that we not be careless. |
The doctor advised that we get some rest. The doctor advised that we not get too tired. |
| 2ND PERSON |
The doctor said that you (all) should be careful. The doctor advised that you (all) be careful. The doctor advised that you (all) not be careless. |
The doctor advised that you (all) get some rest. The doctor advised that you (all) not get too tired. |
| 3RD PERSON |
The doctor said that they should be careful. The doctor advised that they be careful. The doctor advised that they not be careless. |
The doctor advised that they get some rest. The doctor advised that they not get too tired. |
¹get — obtain; arrange for; manage to do (Get Passives – Arrange to Complete)
²get — allow oneself to become (Get Passives – Become)
Command Verbs (Imperative Verbs)
Expressing will (volition) for something to happen
Verbs with Imperative Meaning
advise We advised that he leave. |
ask We ask that they give us a chance. |
beg He begged that they leave him alone. |
command He commanded that they go. |
demand We demanded that he stand up. |
desire He desires that he succeed.. |
forbid She forbid that he stay out late. |
insist I insisted that he come early. |
order You ordered that he clean it up. |
propose We proposed that they come too. |
request We request that you work there. |
require We require that he complete it. |
suggest We suggest that he prepare well. |
urge We urged that the Red Cross proceed. |
recommend We recommend that he stop. |
wish I wish that he be set free. |
The above verbs are complemented by that + a clause with a subjunctive verb (plain form).
Also see infinitives used after these verbs: "Order" + Obj + Infin
Negation in Imperatives
Negating the command vs. the advice
Negative Command vs. Negative Advice
A command or wish followed by a negative clause expresses "Don't do X." The meaning is clear. The negative may be placed before or after the subordinator to and the infinitive (plain form verb). See Nonfinite Infinitives regarding current analysis. |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
| COMMAIND | NEGATIVE IMPERATIVE |
The doctor said |
not to smoke. to¹ not smoke. |
The doctor advised |
that I not smoke. |
A negative command or wish followed by a clause expresses "He didn't say to do X." A negative in both the main and the subordinate clause could be understood as "There is no prohibition to do X". |
|
| MAIN CLAUSE | SUBORDINATE CLAUSE |
| NEGATIVE COMMAND | POSITIVE IMPERATIVE |
The doctor did not say (He gave no advice.) |
to smoke. (No advice.) to not smoke. (Maybe I can.) |
The doctor did not advise |
that I smoke. (No advice.) that I not smoke. (Maybe I can.) |
¹An infinitive is currently analyzed as to (the subordinator) + plain form verb. Placing not before the verb is more emphatic. The grammar rule regarding not splitting infinitives has little or no support among current grammarians. (There is nothing to split since to is the infinitival subordinator and not part of the verb form.) See Nonfinite Infinitives and Splitting a Verb or Infinitive.
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
*Jack shouted to let's go.
|
~The counselor recommended that he goes to a community college. |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
Jack shouted, "Let's go!" (Let us go.) Jack shouted at us to go / to get going. informal Jack shouted that we should go. |
The counselor recommended that he go to a community college. |
*not used / ~used by some speakers and not others (less formal)
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Traditional, ESL and Linguistic Description
| TRADITIONAL & OTHER DESCRIPTIONS |
|---|
Reported speech [with should, ought to, might] (Azar 12-7)
A subjunctive verb uses the simple form of a verb. it does not have present, past, or future forms; it is neither singlular nor plural. Sentences with subjunctive verbs generally stress importance or urgency. A subjunctive verb is used in that-clauses that follow verbs and expressions: advise, ask, demend, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest It is… critical, essential, imperative, important, necessary, vital (Azar, Unit F "The Subjunctive", p 450)
subjunctive (Adj) – expressing a condition that is uncertain or contrary to fact (e.g., if I were you), including doubt, wishfulness, possibility, demand, and the like (e.g., the crowd demanded that she be heard). — Garner 918
British vs. English Usage Br. Eng. – I insisted that he should apologise. We demanded that something should be done. US Eng. – I insisted that he apologize. We demanded that something be done. (Murphy "American English", Unit 34 B, Appendix 7.)
Practical English Usage (Swan 567) 567 Subjunctive Some languages have special verb forms called subjunctive, which are used especially to talk about unreal situations; things which are possible, desirable or imaginary. Older English had subjunctives, but in modern English they have mostly been replaced by uses of should, would and other modal verbs, by uses of past tenses, and by ordinary verb forms. English only has a few subjunctive forms left: third-person singular present verbs with out -s (e.g. she see, he have) and special forms of be (e.g. I be, he were). Except for I/he/she/it were after if, they are not very common.
|
| LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|
[There is] No subordinate imperative construction (Huddleston 10 §9.8) "Imperatives normally occur as main clauses: there is no grammatically distinct construction that can properly be regarded as the subordinate counterpart of a main clause imperative…" Reporting directives:
Subjunctive is restricted to the following clause content: mandative – occurs in construction with: various verbs
various adjectives: It is… advisable, appropriate, crucial, desirable, essential, fitting, imperative, important, necessary, obligatory, preferable, proper, urgent, required, vital, etc.
various nouns: advide, agreement, arrangement, decision, intention, motion, preference, proposal, recommendation, requirement, suggestion, etc. The requirement that he be here by Tuesday is non-negotiable. various prepositions: if, in case, on condition, unless, provided, for fear, lest, in order, so, etc.
(Huddleston 11 §7.1.2) Exhaustive conditional adjuncts. We will have to face the challenge whether it be here in our country or abroad. (Huddleston 11 §7.1.3) |
Word Categories: N – Noun; V – Verb; Aux – Auxiliary; Adj – Adjective; Adv – Adverb; P –Preposition; Det –Determiner.
Phrasal Categories: NP – Noun Phrase; VP – Verb Phrase; AdjP – Adjective Phrase; AdvP – Adverb Phrase; PP – Prepositional Phrase; DP – Determinative Phrase.
Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite clause; NF – nonfinite clause (Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle).
Word Functions: Subj – subject; Pred – predicate/predicator; Comp – complement: an element or elements required by a word or structure to complete its meaning in the clause (e.g., DO – direct object; IO – indirect object; PP - prep. phrase); Adjunct – adjunct: elements not required by an expression to complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added onto a clause that is not closely related to the central thought or structure of the main clause.
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. "The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses." Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009. p. 450.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "The Mandative Construction." The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002. 11 §7.1.1
- Murphy, Raymond. "Should." English Grammar in Use. 5th ed., Cambridge UP. 2019. Unit 34 B.
- Swan, Michael. "Subjunctive." Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005. § 323, 567.2.
Practice 1
Brothers
Quoted Speech
Jack shouted "Get your backpack and lunch!"
Jack said "Don't make me late again."
Jack said to his brother, "Hurry up!"
His brother said, "Leave me alone!"
"OK then", Jack said, "Walk alone!"
Jack's mother said, "Be kind to your brother."
Jack whispered to his brother, "Please be ready on time every morning."
Jack's brother said, "Warn me ten minutes before you leave."
Jack said, "Set your alarm before you go to bed."
"I will!" Jack said, "Don't forget your head!"
Change the quoted speech to reported speech in the form of infinitive clauses.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 1-10" button.
Practice 2
Recommendations and Orders
Select the verb form that complements the verb in the main clause.
- If the verb is imperative, select a subjunctive verb (plain form verb).
- If the verb is declarative (declares or states a fact or opinion), select a verb with normal tense agreement.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 13-22" button.
Also see Command Verbs w/Infinitives.
Practice 3
Treating Hay Fever
Read
The best treatment for hay fever is to avoid the thing you are allergic to. If it is pollen, use an air conditioner to keep it out of your house. For dust mites, put dust-proof covers on your mattress and pillows. If you are allergic to pets, keep your furry friends out of the bedroom.
Wear wrap-around sunglasses when you go out to protect your eyes from pollen. Use cool compresses on your eyes. These are just a few things you can do to treat allergies.
You can also try antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays, and eye drops.
Allergy shots or immunotherapy gradually help your body get used to your allergy triggers. They are usually recommended for people who have symptoms more than three months each year. They can help lower your need for medication to control your symptoms.
allergen (N) – the source or cause of an allergy, such as pollen, dust, cat hair, etc.
allergy (N) – a condition in which someone reacts to something such as dust, food, mold, pollen, or cat hair. The reaction may be itchy eyes, runny nose, wheezing, skin
antihistamines (N) – medicine that reduces allergic reaction
avoid (V) – keep away from
compress (N) – a cold cloth that is placed on red, itchy, or swollen eyes
dust mites (N) very small (microscopic) insects found in bedrooms. Allergens from mites cause asthmas and other nighttime allergies
dust-proof (Adj) – dust cannot go through or get into (the pillow
eye drops (N) medicine that is put into eye
furry (Adj) – having fur ("hair" of a dog or cat)
hay fever (N) – being allergic to the pollen of common plants and grasses
immunotherapy (N) – a treatment that works with the body's natural defense system, way of fighting illness
nasal spray (N) – medicine that is released into the nose directly
symptoms (N) – the signs or ways that a body shows illness (runny nose, sneezing, fever, etc.)
treat (V) – care for, cure, reduce illness or pain
treatment (N) – the care that is given to help someone get better (improve health) or feel less pain
trigger (N) – something that sets off, starts an allergy.
WebMD.com Allergies
Edit for Errors
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 23-30" button.