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Grammaire
Sentence structure A1 A2

Imperatives and let's

Give instructions, warnings, invitations, and suggestions with base verbs and let's.

Traduction des explications en cours…
Pour le moment, la leçon originale en anglais s’affiche.
Guide visuel

Imperatives and let’s: who acts?

WHO IS DOING THE ACTION?

              action idea
                  │
        ┌─────────┴─────────┐
        │                   │
 hidden “you”            “we” together
 instruction / warning    suggestion
        │                   │
 base verb                let’s + base verb
        │                   │
 Open your books.          Let’s start.
        │                   │
 Don’t + base verb         Let’s not + base verb
        │                   │
 Don’t open the window.    Let’s not worry about it.

Key shape: no “to” after Don’t or Let’s

Use a base verb: imperatives speak to hidden “you”; let’s means “you and me/us together.”

Introduction

What imperatives and let’s do

Imperatives are action sentences. They let you give instructions, warnings, offers, and invitations without building a full subject sentence. The basic form is short: base verb first. “Come in.” can be friendly when the situation is friendly. Let’s is the partner form for shared action: “Let’s start.” It means the speaker is included, so it often sounds like a suggestion or invitation. These forms are common in classrooms, recipes, travel directions, work messages, apps, signs, and everyday conversation. The grammar is simple, but tone is important.
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Come in.

A basic imperative can be only a base verb plus a short direction.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Come in
core_imperative
A short friendly imperative using the base verb come plus a direction.
À apprendre comme une unité
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s start.

Let’s includes the speaker and works as a suggestion or invitation.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let’s start
shared_suggestion
A reusable let’s chunk for beginning something together.
À apprendre comme une unité
Core logic

The hidden subject is you

In a normal imperative, the subject you is understood, so you usually do not say it. Start with the base form of the verb, then add the object, place, time, or manner. “Open your books.” tells the listener to do the action. Use the base form with be too: “Be quiet for a minute.” For directions, the same logic works: “Turn left at the bank.” Do not add -s, past tense, or to before the main verb. The listener is already inside the sentence, even when the word you is silent.
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Open your books.

The imperative starts directly with the base verb open.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Open your books
imperative_action
Base verb plus object; the subject you is understood.
À apprendre comme une unité
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Be quiet for a minute.

Use the base form be, not are, in an imperative.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Be quiet
be_imperative
Be stays in the base form in an imperative.
À apprendre comme une unité
for a minute
time_phrase
A time phrase adds how long the instruction lasts.
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Turn left at the bank.

Directions often use simple imperatives.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Turn left
direction_imperative
A common direction frame using a base verb plus direction.
À apprendre comme une unité
at the bank
place_phrase
A place phrase tells where to do the action.
Form variations

Negatives, please, and signs

Negative imperatives use don’t plus the base verb. The pattern is the same for action verbs and for be: “Don’t touch that cable.” “Don’t be late.” To make a request or instruction more polite, add please, often at the beginning: “Please wait here.” Please softens the form, but it does not remove all pressure; relationship and voice still matter. In official notices, safety rules, and written instructions, do not is common instead of don’t: “Do not enter.” In everyday speech, don’t is much more normal.
Negative Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Don’t touch that cable.

Negative imperatives use don’t plus the base verb.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Don’t touch
negative_imperative
Don’t plus base verb tells someone not to do an action.
À apprendre comme une unité
that cable
object
The object names the thing to avoid.
Negative Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Don’t be late.

Use don’t before be in negative imperatives.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Don’t be late
negative_be_imperative
Don’t be is the normal negative imperative with be.
À apprendre comme une unité
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Please wait here.

Please can soften an instruction or request.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Please wait here
polite_imperative
Please before an imperative makes the request more polite.
À apprendre comme une unité
Formal Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Formal

Do not enter.

Do not is more formal than don’t, especially in notices.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Do not enter
formal_negative_imperative
A formal written negative imperative common on signs and notices.
À apprendre comme une unité
Core pattern

Let’s: suggestion together

Let’s is a contraction of let us, but learners should treat it as a practical suggestion chunk. It is followed by the base verb, with no to. Use it when you want to include yourself in the action or build group agreement: “Let’s meet at six.” For a negative suggestion, use let’s not plus the base verb: “Let’s not worry about it.” Let’s can be warm and social, but it can also organize a group in a meeting, class, or family situation. The meaning is usually closer to I suggest this for us than I order you.
Core Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s meet at six.

Let’s meet is a common suggestion for making plans.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let’s meet
shared_suggestion
Let’s plus base verb suggests an action together.
À apprendre comme une unité
at six
time_phrase
A time phrase says when the shared action happens.
Negative Grammaire A2 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s not worry about it.

The negative of let’s is usually let’s not plus the base verb.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let’s not worry
negative_shared_suggestion
Let’s not plus base verb suggests avoiding an action together.
À apprendre comme une unité
about it
topic_phrase
The phrase gives the topic of the worry.
Contrast

Imperative, let’s, questions, and let/lets

Compare the actor. “Close the door.” tells the listener to act. “Let’s close the door.” suggests action together, or at least a shared decision. For extra politeness, English often uses a question request: “Could you close the door?” This is not an imperative in form, but it can do the same job in conversation. Also separate let’s from lets. Let’s has an apostrophe and means let us. “She lets her children choose.” means she allows them to choose. Let me is different again: “Let me check the address.” means I will check, or I am asking permission to check.
Contrast Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Close the door.

The listener is expected to act.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Close the door
listener_imperative
A direct imperative asking the listener to do the action.
À apprendre comme une unité
Contrast Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s close the door.

The speaker is included in the action or decision.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let’s close
shared_suggestion
Let’s changes the action into a shared suggestion.
À apprendre comme une unité
the door
object
The object is what should be closed.
Question Grammaire A2 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Could you close the door?

Question requests are often more polite than direct imperatives.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Could you close
polite_question_request
A question request; polite, but not an imperative form.
À apprendre comme une unité
the door
object
The object is what should be closed.
Contrast Grammaire A2 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

She lets her children choose.

Lets is not the same as let’s.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

She lets
present_simple_let
Lets without an apostrophe is a present simple verb meaning allows.
À apprendre comme une unité
her children choose
allowed_action
The people and action that are allowed.
Contrast Grammaire A2 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Let me check the address.

Let me is different from let’s because only the speaker does the action.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let me check
let_me_offer_or_permission
Let me plus base verb means I will do it or I am asking permission to do it.
À apprendre comme une unité
the address
object
The thing being checked.
Danger zone

Common errors

Two common mistakes come from adding extra words after the control word. Mistake: “Don’t to open the window.” Corrected: “Don’t open the window.” After don’t, use the base verb directly. Mistake: “Let’s to eat.” Corrected: “Let’s eat.” After let’s, also use the base verb directly. Another danger is adding you to an ordinary imperative. It is possible, but it often sounds angry, impatient, or strongly contrastive. For normal instructions, leave you silent. If you need politeness, add please or use a question request instead.
Mistake Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Don’t to open the window.

Do not use to after don’t in a negative imperative.

Corrected Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Don’t open the window.

The corrected pattern is don’t plus base verb.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Don’t open
correct_negative_imperative
Don’t is followed directly by the base verb.
À apprendre comme une unité
the window
object
The thing that should not be opened.
Mistake Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s to eat.

Do not use to after let’s.

Corrected Grammaire A1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Let’s eat.

The corrected pattern is let’s plus base verb.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Let’s eat
correct_shared_suggestion
Let’s is followed directly by the base verb.
À apprendre comme une unité
Usage rules

Tone and context

Choose the form by purpose and relationship. Use short imperatives for clear instructions, recipes, directions, and urgent warnings. Use please when the listener has a choice or when you want a warmer tone. Use a question request when a direct command could sound too strong. Use let’s when the action belongs to the speaker and listener together: planning, starting, stopping, moving, deciding. Use let’s not when you want the group to avoid an action. In writing, an exclamation mark makes the sentence feel urgent or emotional; for ordinary polite instructions, a period is safer.
Summary

Fast summary

The core patterns are stable. Imperative: base verb plus the rest of the action. Negative imperative: don’t plus base verb. Polite imperative: please plus imperative, or imperative plus please. Formal negative: do not plus base verb. Shared suggestion: let’s plus base verb. Negative shared suggestion: let’s not plus base verb. Keep to out after don’t and let’s. Keep you silent unless you intentionally want emphasis or contrast. Remember the spelling: let’s means let us, while lets is a present simple verb meaning allows.
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