6.9 Grammar: Imperative Construction
Giving Driving Direction
Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences are sentences that express requests, commands, order, instructions, etc. Like in English, the subject “you” is dropped. However, unlike English, Persian has two different forms of the pronoun ”you”, as explained below.
| English | Persian | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| You | تو | Second Person singular pronoun/ |
| You | شما | Second person Plural pronoun / IS also used for who is older in age/ or higher socio- economic class/ it is used for anyone to whom you want to show respect. |
The Imperative form only applies to second person (singular and plural). The imperative does not apply to the first or third person.
Formation
- Singular Imperative: add the prefix ب- to the present stem of the verb with no verb ending.
- Plural Imperative: add the prefix ب- to the present stem of the verb and we add the verb ending ید as well.
Example:
| Infinitive Form of the Verb | Present Stem | Imperative Form | Sentence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To laugh خندیدن | خند | ب + خند = بخند | تو | تو بخند = you laugh |
| To laugh خندیدن | خند | ب + خندید = بخندید | شما | شما بخندید = you laugh |
Negative
To form the negative imperative, replace prefix ب with the prefix .ن:
| Positive Imperative Verb | Negative Imperative Verb |
|---|---|
| بخند (Laugh) | نخند (Don’t laugh)
|
Exception
The imperative forms of the verbs بودن (to be) and داشتن (to have) are made differently:
بودن = باش
داشتن= داشته باش
| Negative Imperative Verb | Positive Imperative Verb | Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| ساکت نباش (Don’t be quiet) | ساکت باش (Be quiet) | تو |
| صبر نداشته باش (Don’t be patient) | صبر داشته باش (Be patient) | تو |
| ساکت نباشید (Don’t be quiet) | ساکت باشید (Be quiet) | شما |
| صبر نداشته باشید (Don’t be patient) | صبر داشته باشید (Be patient) | شما |
Activity
- Please write ten sentences of instructions and ask your friend to enact them, and vice-versa.
- Make a list of ten things that you want your parents to do for you. Please use the plural form of the imperative construction.
Writing /Speaking Activity
A: Look at the map and answer following question:
- How do you go from police office to the supermarket
- How do you go from supermarket to the school
- How do you go from night club to the restaurant
B: Now record yourself giving all the above directions.
!سپاس
