281 Commands expressed by the imperative A The second person imperative
1 This has the same form as the bare infinitive:
Hurry! Wait! Stop!
For the negative we put do not (don’t) before the verb: Don’t hurry!
2 The person addressed is very often not mentioned, but can be expressed by a noun placed at the end of the phrase:
Eat your dinner1, boys. Be quiet, Tout. These nouns can be placed before the verb, but this is much Jess usual.
The pronoun you is rarely used unless the speaker wishes to be rude, or wishes to make a distinction, as in: . You go on; I’ll wait.
3 do can be placed before the affirmative imperative:
Do hurry. Do be quiet. This do could be persuasive, but couid also express irritation.
B The first person imperative Form let tu> (let’s) + bare infinitive:
Let us stand together in this emergency. For the negative we normally put not before the infinitive:
Let us not be alarmed by rumours. But it is possible in colloquial English to put don’t before let’s:
Don’t let’s be alarmed by rumours.
By let u» (let’s) the speaker can urge his hearers to act in a certain way, or express a decision which they are expected to accept, or express a suggestion (see 289).
C The third person imperative Form let him/her/it/them + bare infinitive (see also 322):
Let them go by train.
This is not a very common construction in modern English. It would be more usual to say:
They are So go/must go by train.
The negative i/nperative, let him/her/them -t- negative infinitive, is not used in modern English, instead, w« would use must not or is/are not to:
They must not/are not to go by air.
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MM»<- -S* ^ s
27 Commands, requests, invitations, advice, suggestions
282 Other ways of expressing commands
A Subject + shall for third person commands (in written English)
shall can be used in very formal written regulations which will normally remain in force for some time. These are very often in the passive (see
also 234):
The Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected annually.
(club regulations)
A record shall be kept of the number of students attending each class.
(coDege regulations)
B Subject + will, mainly for third person commands:
When the alarm rings passengers and crew will assemble at their boat
stations, (notice on board ship)
This is a formal, impersonal, peremptory type of command, implying that the person giving the order is quite certain that he will be obeyed. It is used chiefly in written instructions by people who have some authority, e.g. captains of ships, officers of the services, headmasters of schools, trainers of sports teams etc.:
The team will report to the gymnasium for weight-lifting training. Note that if we move the will and place it before the subject, we turn the command into a request. ,
It is possible to use you will for spoken commands: J
You will not mention this meeting to anyone. ^jjm
But it is more usual and more polite to use must: •.a&^^R
You must not mention this meeting to anyone. jjjIH^^I
C Commands are often expressed as obligations by must: ^^^^H You must not smoke in the petrol store. ^^^^H
Passengers must cross the line by the footbridge. ^^^^H
Dogs must be kept on leads in this area. Hi^l
D Instructions or orders can be conveyed by the be + infinitive ^H construction: ^H’
You are to report for duty immediately. ^JP
The switchboard is to be manned at all times.
E Prohibitions may be expressed in written instructions by may not: Candidates may not bring textbooks into the examination room.
283 Requests with can/could/may/might I/we A can/could/may/might I/we + have + noun/pronoun
can is the most informal:
(a) ’Can I have a sweet?’ said the little boy.
can I/we, when used by adults, sounds more confident than could
I/we.
could I/we is the most generally useful form:
(b) Could I have a cup of tea? Could I have two tickets, please?
246
27 COnUMnd8’ ”«-• ’^dons. advice, KlggtftiOD>
-, «u*it«, mggesooot
may and might are more formal than could, but possible in both spoken and written English:
(c) May/Might I have a copy of the letttr?
These requests are usually reported by ask (+ indirect object) + for + object:
The little boy asked (me) for a sweet. He asked for a copy of the letter. But (c) above could also be reported:
He asked if he might have a copy of the letter. B can/could/may/might I/we + verb
For the difference between them, see A above.
These could be requests for permission (see 131), but with certain
verbs, e.g. see, speak (to), talk (to), they can be ordinary requests:
May/Could I see Mr Jones? « / would like to see Mr Jones. This type of request is reported by ask to see/to speak to etc.: / asked to see Mr Jones.
Do not put a noun/pronoun after ask, as this would change the meaning (see 243 B).
In colloquial English ask for + name etc. would also be possible, especially when reporting a telephone conversation: CALLER: Could I speak to the secretary, please? She asked for the secretary/to speak to the secretary. C could/might I/we requests can be preceded by do you think/ I wonder(ed)/was wondering if. These prefixes make the requests more diffident:
/ wonder/was wondering if I could have tomorrow off? Do you think I could speak to the secretary? Note the change from interrogative to affirmative verb (see 104).
284 Requests with could/will/wouJd you etc. For starred forms, see K below.
A could you* is a very useful request form: Could you please show me the way?
possibly can be added to show that the speaker is asking for something extra.
Could you possibly lend me £500?
couldn’t expresses the speaker’s hopes for a more favourable answer than has just been indicated:
I can’t wait. ~ Couldn’t you wait five minutes? you couldn’t. . . could you? can be used to express a not very hopeful request:
You couldn’t wait five minutes, could you? You couldn ’tgive me a hand with this, could you? (The speaker doesn’t really expect a favourable answer in either case.)
247
J
27 Commands, requests, invitations, advice, suggestions
B will/would you* (please):
Will/Would you please count your change? would you (please) has the same meaning as could you. will you is more authoritative and therefore less polite, will/would you can be placed at the end of the phrase:
Shut ike door, will you?
But this form can only be used in very friendly relaxed situations. Used otherwise, it would sound very rude. will/would can also be used for third person requests:
Would Mrs Jones, passenger to Leeds, please come to the Enquiry
Desk?
Will anyone who saw the accident please phone this number . . . ?
(police announcement)
C you’ll. . . won’t you? is a persuasive type of request used mainly among friends:
You ’II write to me, won’t you?
D would you mind* + gerund (see 263): Would you mind moving your car?
E perhaps you would implies confidence that the other person will perform this service. It would not be used at the beginning of a conversation or letter, but would be possible,later on:
Perhaps you would let me know when your new stock arrives =
Please let me know when your new stock arrives.
F if you would is a useful request form. It is used in spoken English for routine-type requests which the speaker is quite sure will be obeyed: If you ’d fill up this form/take a seat/wait a few minutes, (in an office) If you ’d sign the register/follow the porter, (in a hotel) just can be added to show that the action required is very easy: If you’d just put your address on the back of the cheque, (in a shop)
H
I
J
would you like to . . . ? is also a possible request form: Would you like to take a seat? = Please take a seat.
I should/would be very grateful if you would is a formal request form found chiefly in letters but possible in speech:
/ should be very grateful if you would let me know if you have any
vacancies.
Would you be good/kind enough to keep me informed? Would you be so kind as to keep me informed?
J I wish you would can be a request form. It sometimes implies that the other person should be helping or have offered to do it (see 301): ^ / wish you ’d give me a hand.
K Starred would and could forms may be introduced by phrases such as uo you think? I wonder(ed) if, I was wondering if (see 104): Do you think yun could lend me £500?
285
A
27 Commands, requests, invitation,, advice,
_, ««ce, tuggutiau
285 Requests with might
A you might can express a very casual request: You might post these for me.
But it can only be used in friendly relaxed situations, otherwise it would sound rude.
B With a certain intonation and a strong stress on the important word might can express a reproachful request: You might [kelp me with stress on help might imply ’Why aren’t you helping me.’/You should be helping me*.
C might can also be used with other persons to express this sort of
irritation: He might ’pay us! with stress on pay could mean ’We are
annoyed that he doesn’t pay/hasn’t paid us’. D might + perfect infinitive can express irritation at or reproach for the
non-performance of an action in the past: You might have ttold us with
stress on told could mean ’You should have told us’.
286 Invitations
A will you have/would you like + noun:
Wilt you have a drink? (sometimes shortened to Have a drink.)
Would you like a coffee? Note that do you want is not an invitation. (For want and would like, see 296.)
In indirect speech we use offer + indirect object (« person addressed) + noun:
She offered me a drink/a coffee. B will/would/could you? would you like to?
Witt you have lunch with me tomorrow? is informal, but Would/Could you have lunch with me? or Would you like to have lunch with me? can be used in both informal and formal situations. ,
These invitations would be reported by invite/ask -t- direct object + to •*• noun, or invite/ask + direct object + infinitive:
He invited me to lunch/to have lunch with him. C Answers to invitations
Offers of a drink/a cigarette etc. are usually answered:
Yes, please or No, thank you.
Invitations with would you/could you/would you like are usually answered:
I’d like to very much/I’d love to or
I’d like to very much but I’m afraid I can’t. wouldn’t like, of course, would not be possible. An invitation and answer might be reported:
He invited us to dinner/to a party/to spend the weekend with him and
we accepted/but we refused/but we had to refuse because …
27 Commands, requests, invitations, advice, suggestions
When the speaker doesn’t really expect his offer/invitation to be
accepted he can say:
You wottldn’t like another drink,/would you? (Perhaps the speaker would like another drink himself, and wants an excuse. He doesn’t really expect that his friend will accept, though.) You woitldn ’t like to come with me, would you? (Again he doesn’t really expect an acceptance.)
287 Advice forms
A must, ought to and should can be used for advice:
You must read this book. It’s marvellous.
You should grow your own vegetables.
You ought to plant some trees.
In indirect speech must, ought to and should here can remain unchanged or be reported by advise + object:
He advised me to plant trees.
B you had better + bare infinitive (see 120): You ’d better take off your wet shoes. You ’d better not wait any longer. had better can be used with the third person: He ’d better stop taking those pills.
C if I were you I should/would:
/// were you I’d buy a car.
This is often shortened to I should/would with a slight stress on the I:
Td buy a car.
In indirect speech /// were you I should/would … is reported by advise + object:
He advised me to buy a. car.
D 1 advise/would advise you -t- infinitive:
/ (would) advise you to apply at once or I advise/would advise + gerund:
1C A) advise applying at once.
E why don’t you . . . ? can be either advice or suggestion: Why don’t you learn to play your guitar? Why don’t you take a holiday? When this is advice it is reported by advise + object: He advised me to take a holiday’
F it is time you + past tense:
Itis time you bought a netsfcoat. (See 293.) This would be reported:
He said it was time I b&tght a new coat. •
289
A
B
27 Commands, requests, inviutions, advice, suggestions
88 Advice with may/might as well + infinitive This construction can express very unemphatic advice: You may/might as well ask him // would do no harm to ask him. She said I might as well ask him. This form can be used with the third person:
He may as well come with me and the speaker may tse it of himself:
As there isn’t anything more to do, I may as well go home early.
9 Suggestions
A First person suggestions with let’s or shall I/we let’s + infinitive:
Let’s paint it ourselves. shall we is sometimes added:
Let’s get the paint today, shall we? shall I/we + infinitive: Shall we invite Bill?
Suggestions with let’s or shall we can be answered affirmatively by yes, let’s.
let’s not could be used jokingly as a negative answer:
Let’s take the tent. – Let’s not! Or it can introduce a negative suggestion;
Let’s not start too early. don’t let’s could also be used here:
Don’t let’s start too early.
First and second person suggestions
why don’t we/you + infinitive or why not + infinitive/expression of time or place:
Why don’t we meet and discuss it? Why not meet and discuss it?
Where shall we meet? ~ Why not here?/Why not at the hotel? In colloquial English what’s wrong with/what’s the matter with + noun could also be used:
What’s wrong with the hotel? what/how about -t- gerund/noun: Where shall we sleep? What about renting a caravan? What about a bed and breakfast place? suppose I/we/you + present or past tense: Suppose you offer/offered to pay him?
•*mz
250
251
D
27 Commands, requests, invitations, advice, suggestions
First, second or third person suggestions with suggest or propose
suggest (+ possessive adjective) * gerund, or suggest that + subject
+ present tense/should.
propose is used in exactly the same way but is slightly more formal
than suggest.
In the active, suggest + should + infinitive is more formal than
suggest + a present or past tense.
/ suggest (your) selling it.
We suggest that you should sell it. (formal)
/ propose that the secretary sends in/should send in a report, (formal)
I propose that a report (should) be sent in. (formal) that… should is necessary in the passive. With should be it is possible in formal English to omit the should, leaving the be alone, as shown above.
Suggestions in indirect speech
Suggestions can be reported by:
suggest/suggested (+ possessive adjective) + gerund, or suggest that + subject + present tense/should, or suggested that + subject + past tense/should, or suggest (any tense) + noun/pronoun:
Tom suggests/suggested (our) having a meeting.
Ann suggests that he sells/should sell his house.
Ann suggested that he sold/should sell it.
Mr Jones suggested a meeting. (For suggestions with let’s, see also 322.)