Imperatives

Topic - 5

IMPERATIVES

INTRODUCTION

An imperative sentence begins with the main verb and generally it does not have a subject. 'You' is implied as the subject.

Imperative is a type of sentence which expresses a command, request, advice, recommendations and directions. This type of sentences gives the direction or command directly to the individual.

Examples

Sit down.

Close the window.

Don't show your face to me.

Instructions are always in the imperative form. Engineers have to make use of imperative sentences quite often because of their professional necessity. They give instructions to their subordinates and customers about the use of their product. Usually instructions are given to the beginners by the experienced people. It can be done in two ways.

1. Direct form of Instruction

The command is given in the form of Imperative. Here, the subject of the sentence ‘You' is not mentioned.

Example

Make the initial adjustments of the spectrometer. 

2. General impersonal instruction can be given using the word ‘should’ 

Example

Initial adjustments of the spectrometer should be made.

Use a physical balance and find out the weight of the empty spherical calorimeter. 

(imperative form of instruction)

Using a physical balance, the weight of the empty spectrometer should be found out. 

(should form of instruction)

Practice Exercises

Rewrite the following 'imperative' into 'should form':

1. Choose a short focus convex lens.

2. Connect the positive terminal of the battery to one terminal of the resistance box.

3. Switch off the cylinder soon after its use.

4. Park your car in the car shed. 

5. Don't dispose used water, toxic wasted etc. directly. 

6. Stay at home for a week and take complete rest.

7. First, select a suitable site for a building.

8. Take a little rice at noon along with plenty of vegetables. 

9. Pipette out 20 ml. of the potassium permanganate solution into a conical flask. 

10. Take a regular injection to speed up your recovery. 

11. Reduce the diameter of a cylindrical job to the desired dimension. 

12. Lubricate the parts of the machine periodically.

13. Inform the students not to wait anymore.

14. Avoid the risk at any cost. 

15. Note the temperature carefully. 

16. Visit all the important places.

17. Note down the important cultural traits of the Indians.

18. Create an emergency start up Diskette.

19. Clean the computer case, key board, screen and mouse.

20. Try to make all the areas litter-free zones. 

21. Scan the hard drive for errors. 

22. Deepen the rivers to restrict their flow to islands during the rainy seasons. 

23. Manage the hard drive space.

24. Encourage rain water harvesting.

25. Defragment the hard drive to improve the performance of the hard drive. 

26. Clamp the given job in carpentry vice. 

27. Check the given work pieces with original dimensions. 

28. File the corners of the stepped surfaces of the work piece.

29. Fill in the burette with the potassium permanganate solution up to zero mark.

30. Allow the liquid to form precipitate.

31. Add concentrated sulphuric acid.

32. Wait till the process is programmed.

33. Operate these machines carefully. 

34. Store the cylinders in an upright position 

35. Keep all cutting-tools in good condition 

36. Wear safety-helmets at all times. 

37. Do not copy your friend's assignment.

38. Write the examination with fountain pen.

39. Look at the corrupt with contempt.

40. Save money so that you can have money.

41. Pour water into the vessel until it overflows.

42. Allow the water to cool for ten minutes and then take the temperature.

43. Continue the process of cooling for ten minutes.

44. Calculate the amount of expansion.

45. Take the temperature every minute.

46. Don't leave any dirt on them. 47. Press the surface together.

48. Hold the convex lens in front of the white paper. 49. Take care to squeeze out the whole of the flux.

50. Drill this iron piece till you reach the bottom.

I. Rewrite the following 'should form' into 'imperative form’:

1. Plinth area should be calculated by taking the external dimensions of the building at the floor level.

2. The project work should be completed on time

3. A pinch of salt should be made into paste with one drop of concentrated hydrochloric acid.

4. Our office should be shifted to the adjacent building.

5. The vibration magnetometer should be placed in the magnetic meridian.

6. The metal plates should be clamped together.

7. Bricks of high quality should be purchased for building construction.

8. The dust particles should be removed from the computer.

9. The burette should be washed with water and rinsed with hydrochloric acid solution.

10. The focal length should be measured carefully.

11. Care should be taken not to damage the machinery.

12. An oxy-acetylene torch should be used for welding.

13. The vessel should be cleaned thoroughly.

14. The container should be filled with water.

15. Safety precautions should be observed at all times.

16. These instructions should be strictly adhered to.

17. The ends of the metal articles should be thoroughly cleaned.

18. No dirt should be left on them.

19. A flux should then be applied to the weld.

20. The surfaces should be pressed together.

21. The joint should then be smoothed off.

22. The machines should be handled with care.

23. Some instruments should be kept in air-conditioned rooms.

24. Before using a screw gauge, the zero error should be found out.

25. The metal surfaces should be placed between the two electrodes.

26. The connections to the TV antenna should be checked.

27. The results should be plotted on a graph.

28. The amount of expansion, which will take place, should be calculated.

29. We should not be subjected any heated metal to sudden cooling.

30. Advice should be given on how to prevent burglars from entering houses.