Imperative Sentences Ed Mc Corduck English 402 Grammar

Imperative Sentences Ed Mc. Corduck English 402 --Grammar SUNY Cortland http: //mccorduck. cortland. edu

slide 2: characteristics of imperative sentences Imperative sentences • • give commands or orders • always have the base form of the verb usually have no overt subject (if there is one, it’s normally you) English 402: Grammar

slide 3: examples of imperative sentences exx Bring me a beer. Be here by midnight. Shut your mouth. English 402: Grammar

slide 4: examples of imperatives and imperatives with an overt subject exx Shut your mouth. / You shut your mouth. Get the hell out of here. / You get the hell out of here. English 402: Grammar

slide 5: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of imperative sentences As thus demonstrated, since most imperatives can have an overt subject with you, in Reed-Kellogg diagrams of imperative sentences without an overt subject an x is put in the subject slot on the main horizontal line before the vertical subject/predicate dividing line and the first letter of the first word in the imperative sentence is capitalized. English 402: Grammar

slide 6: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of an imperative sentence ex Reed-Kellogg diagram of Bring me a beer: English 402: Grammar

slide 7: another example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of an imperative sentence ex Reed-Kellogg diagram of Be here by midnight: English 402: Grammar

slide 8: Reed-Kellogg diagram of an imperative sentence with an overt you subject ex Reed-Kellogg diagram of You shut your mouth (both imperative and declarative): English 402: Grammar

slide 9: negative imperative sentences Negative imperative sentences result from the application of the do support transformation and the negative transformation such that do not (usually contracted to don’t in both the spoken and written language) occurs before the base form of the verb: Don’t bring me a warm beer. Don’t be cruel. English 402: Grammar

slide 10: negative imperatives with an overt subject Like other imperative sentences, negative imperative sentences can have an overt subject you, but in negative imperatives this subject occurs after the initial don’t (i. e. , the inversion transformation applies): Don’t touch that. / Don’t you touch that. Don’t screw around. / Don’t you screw around. English 402: Grammar

slide 11: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of negative imperative sentences Negative imperative sentences are diagrammed like regular imperative sentences with an x for the unexpressed subject except that don’t is placed along with the main verb after the vertical subject/predicate dividing line (similar to negative declarative sentences with do-support; cf. slide 10 of the “Negative Sentences” lecture). English 402: Grammar

slide 12: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a negative imperative sentence ex Reed-Kellogg diagram of Don’t touch that: English 402: Grammar

slide 13: Reed-Kellogg diagram of a negative imperative sentence with an overt you ex Reed-Kellogg diagram of Don’t you touch that: English 402: Grammar