ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English Language => Topic started by: hogp321 on May 27, 2020, 08:45:12 pm

Title: Imperative
Post by: hogp321 on May 27, 2020, 08:45:12 pm

Can please be in an imperative? For "please go online and register" an imperative?

Title: Re: Imperative
Post by: Justin_L on May 27, 2020, 09:03:29 pm

I personally don't think so, on one hand, "please" doesn't really make sense as an imperative because it's not a verb, the sentence would be just as strong if you said "Go online and register."

On the other hand, it might make sense if you combined it with another technique like tone, for example "Go online and register please", where the delivery clearly shows that it's not a request.

These are just my personal thoughts though, and I'm talking from an HSC standpoint so hopefully someone better at English or more familiar with VCE has an answer. Hope this helps!

Title: Re: Imperative
Post by: lm21074 on May 27, 2020, 11:51:02 pm

Hello! :) Fellow EngLang student here, but these are just my thoughts.

I have some questions for you to think about when answering this:

- What makes up an imperative?

- Do you think this sentence fits the other main sentence types (declarative, interrogative or exclamative)?

a possible answer (click on this to reveal)

I think this sentence would be an imperative as it gives a direct order or instruction and the subject has been omitted. Using please is a politeness strategy.

Hope this helps :)