Giving an order or giving advice?
When someone in authority is telling you what to do, they often use the imperative like this:
- Stand close to the object.
- Bend your knees.
- Lift with your legs and not with your back.
- Don’t twist your body.
Look at the imperative sentences above. Do you see a subject?
Advice Language
In everyday life the imperative is a little rude. We usually use it when giving very serious instructions. To sound more polite, you should use advice language.
|
Imperative |
Advice language |
|
Stand close to the object. Lift with your legs and not with your back. Bend your knees. Don’t twist your body. Never lift a load above your waist. |
You should stand close to the object. You ought to stand close to the object. You shouldn’t lift with your back. Why don’t you lift with your legs instead.
It’s better if you bend your knees. I think you need to not twist your body. It’s (usually) a good idea to never lift a load above your waist. |