Using imperatives to tell people to do something

Hi and welcome to another great lesson from New English Academy. I’m Giles Parker and I’m your guide for this course. Today we’re going to look at some really useful phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs are verbs that have two words to them, always a verb and either a preposition or a particle. You hear them all the time in spoken English so it is a good idea to start learning them. We’re also going look at how to tell people what to do. This is called the imperative form and it is very useful for giving instructions and giving directions or orders. Our comprehension text today is called ‘Pass the paint pot’ and features a dialogue between yours truly and a friend of mine, Marian, who helped me paint my house recently. He is just starting to learn English, so please forgive some of his pronunciation. I think he does very well. As ever, you can download the free transcript and the free guidebook with 25 different activities on how to improve your English using these podcasts from the website, www.newenglishacademy.com. Don’t forget to check out the catalogue of free online English courses too. This podcast is aimed at beginner level students but there is something useful here for everyone.

Grammar explanation:

Here in the Green Heart of Italy, I have made lots of new friends. Some friends are local people and other friends come from foreign countries to find work here. My friend Marian comes from Slovakia. He is a stone-mason, which means he knows how to build things with stone. Marian speaks pretty good Italian, but many of the people he works for don't come from Italy and they don't speak much Italian. So, he has to speak to them in English. Often, they want to help him do his job. This means Marian has to speak to them in a mixture of Italian and English. He has to give them instructions and directions and tell them what to do and how to do it.

When Marian tells someone to do something, he uses a very useful bit of grammar - the imperative form of a verb. The imperative is the verb when you tell someone to do something, when you give directions or instructions or give an order. It's very easy to use. It is also very direct and straight so it is a good idea to be polite with it. 

To tell someone to do something with the imperative just use the base form of the verb - that is, the verb without to. You don't have to change it or add anything to it.  So for example:

• 
  
• Give me that nail gun.
  
  
• Start the compressor.
  
  

If you want to tell someone not to do something, I mean, if you want to use the imperative in the negative, that is really easy too. Just add Do not before the verb. To make it friendlier, or politer add Please and make a contraction from Do not to Don't... So for example:

• 
  
• Don't stand there.
  
  
• Please don't do that.
  
  

Marian always tries to be polite so he doesn't always use imperatives. Instead, he makes them into requests. This means, he asks you to do something. It is very easy to take an imperative and change it into a request. All you need is a simple modal auxiliary, such as Can or could and make it into a question.  For example:

• 
  
• Could you pass me that hammer, please?
  
  
• Can you put away the tools, please?
  
  

When someone uses imperatives or requests, you can answer in a couple of ways. If you want to do it, you can say Sure! or OK! For example:

· Put that hammer in the box there.

Sure!

· Don’t throw out that newspaper.

OK.

But…if you don't want to do it then you have to find a polite way to refuse. Refusing or saying no to anything in English is not as simple as just saying No! We’ll look at how to refuse things in more detail in another lesson.

Lastly, a quick word about some of the verbs in today’s lesson. We’re going to look at phrasal verbs, or two-word verbs. This means they have a preposition or a particle after the verb.  They are very common and you’ll hear them all the time in spoken English.  And like everything in any language, there are some rules.

Some phrasal verbs need an object. This means they need a something or someone to receive the action of the verb. For example:

· You should put away the tools  – put away is the phrasal verb and tools is the object.

You can put the object either after the verb and the particle OR between the verb and the particle. So, for example;

· Don’t turn on the radio.

· Don’t turn the radio on.

Did you see where the object is? The object of both these sentences is the radio. In the first sentence it is after the phrasal verb, in the second it is between the verb and the particle.

Lastly, one important rule: When the object is a pronoun, it has to go between the verb and the particle. So for example;

· Turn the radio off.

· Turn it off.

Some phrasal verbs don’t take an object so there is no problem with where to put the pronoun. As I said, phrasal verbs are really common in spoken English. There is no easy way to learn them other than by reading and listening and remembering them. You can get a list of which phrasal verbs in the vocabulary lesson in the online course on imperatives and phrasal verbs on the website.

Now for some reading and listening comprehension. With the right imperatives to tell his friends and helpers what to do, Marian can build and fix houses. Last week Marian and I worked together. He is the boss so he asked or told me to do lots of different things. While you listen to the dialog try to find all the imperatives. Then, listen again and find all the requests. You can check them on the transcript. Also, check what phrases we use to say yes! when we give an order or make a request. On the transcript, use a highlighter to show the imperative and the answer. Enjoy! That’s an imperative!

Comprehension text

A couple of weeks ago, Marian and I worked together to paint my house. It was a lot easier with two guys doing the work. I had painted houses before but Marian has more experience than me so he told me what to do sometimes. It all started when I asked him to help me.

G: Marian, could you take a look at the paint in my house sometime soon? Some of it is old and needs fixing.

M: Sure! When is a good time for you?

G: How about tomorrow morning?

M: OK. Phone me when you are ready.

G: OK. Can you give me an estimate tomorrow too?

M: Probably. Let me look at it and we'll see. I have to measure the walls.

G: Oh, and could you let me know tomorrow what things we need?

M: Sure. It depends on the house, you know? Do I have to prepare an invoice too?

G: What? An invoice?

So the next day I phoned him and he came over. Here is how it went.

G: OK, this is the living room...

M: Hmm... look at that damp patch in the corner. We will have to fix that.

G: OK, what else?

M: Could you help me move the sofa? Thanks. OK - come here a minute.

G: What's up?

M: There is something wrong with the skirting board here.

G: OK, I see. Can you fix it too?

M: Sure. No problems. I'll do it later. Now, pass me the ladder, will you?

G: Here you go.

M: OK, we need to put masking tape all around the doors and windows.

G: Sure. Give me the tape and I'll get started over here.

M: Pick up the tool box - I think the tape is under it.

G: OK, I got it.

M: Right. Let's get started. You finish putting up the tape; I'll take a look at the damp patch.

G: OK...

We worked together and put up the masking tape. The damp patch was difficult to fix, however. 

M: OK we have a small problem here. Could you hand me that trowel? I want to dig out some of the old plaster here in this corner.

G: Here you go. Can I do anything to help?

M: Sure. Get the new plaster for me, please. Then put some of it on this float and pass it up to me when I'm ready.

G: Right. Watch out for the old plaster here. Don't let it get in your eyes. It isn't good for you.

M: No worries. Here we go. I finished. Now, could you hand me the float with the new plaster? Thanks.

G: Sure. Be careful around the edges there.

M: It's OK - I know what I'm doing.

G: Great - that looks better already. What next?

M: Well, we have to wait for it to dry before we can paint it. But we can tidy up the room and get ready for the first coat....

So we started tidying up the place and moving the furniture.

M: OK, could you give me a hand with this cabinet? I want to put it into the middle of the room, under the light. It will be safer there.

G: Got it. Gee, it's heavy - difficult to move...

M: Don't worry - just use koshi mawashi...

G: Ha ha, funny guy. What about the tools? They are everywhere...
M: OK - put them away. The brushes, mixer and the float go in the bucket. Put the trowel and the tape back in the toolbox. Don’t throw out that paint thinner – it will be useful later.

G: Sure. Anything else?

M: Hmm... could you turn on the light and turn off the radio? I need perfect light and peace when I'm painting a room.

G: OK, Picasso. Lights on, radio off. Right. Let's go have a coffee before we start painting.

M: Good idea!

After the coffee we mixed up the paint, climbed up the ladders and started painting. The first coat went on the ceiling and walls nice and smoothly and after a couple of hours we were ready to stop for the day and let the paint dry.

M: OK, I think we can quit now. Let’s stop here, clean up, and start again tomorrow morning.

G: Alright. I’ll wash the rollers and brushes.

M: OK, but don’t wash them in hot water, just use cold water. And when you have finished, don’t let them stay wet. Dry them on the tree outside.

G: Got it. How about pay?

M: Don’t pay me today. Pay me tomorrow when we finish the job.

G: Fine – see you tomorrow, then.

M: Ciao.

 

G: Ciao.