L’impératif ( = command forms) We use command forms regularly in daily speech: Get up! Please don’t sneeze without covering your mouth and nose! No smoking! Don’t drink & drive! Please, no talking in the library!

L’impératif en français: Commands can be both POSITIVE & NEGATIVE There are THREE forms of + and - commands: (+) TU: Parle en français s’il te plaît! VOUS: Asseyez-vous! NOUS: Allons-y! (-) TU: Ne parle pas en anglais! VOUS: Ne commencez pas tout de suite! NOUS: Ne faisons pas de bruit!

How do we form commands in French? As a general rule, take the TU, VOUS and NOUS forms of the verb: (***BUT*** with the TU form of –ER verbs, remove the –S first!) (EX: PARLER --- Parle! Parlez! Parlons!) To make them negative, just sandwich them between NE---PAS (EX: PARLER Ne parle pas! Ne parlez pas! Ne parlons pas!)

What do we do with REFLEXIVE VERBS? There are different things depending on whether the command form is POSITIVE or NEGATIVE: POSITIVE: With Reflexive Verbs we INVERT the verb form and the REFLEXIVE PRONOUN (***also the reflexive Pronoun TE becomes: TOI***) (Ex: S’ASSEOIR = to sit down Assieds-toi! Asseyez-vous! Asseyons-nous! NEGATIVE: we keep them exactly the same but just surround them with NE—PAS (Ex: SE LEVER = to stand/get up Ne te lève pas! Ne vous levez pas! Ne nous levons pas!

***Irregulars*** As this is French, there are ALWAYS irregulars!! TU NOUS VOUS AVOIR: Aie! Ayons! Ayez! = have ÊTRE: Sois! Soyons! Soyez! = be SAVOIR: Sache! Sachons! Sachez! = know VOULOIR: Veuille! Veuillons! Veuillez! = want

What to do with PRONOUNS… (+) Positive commands These are put AT THE END of the command form and attached to it with a hyphen MANGER LA PIZZA: Mange-la! (tu) Mangeons-la! (nous) Mangez-la! (vous) (-) Negative commands These go BEFORE the command form and are inside the NE…PAS sandwich MANGER LA PIZZA: Ne la mange pas! (tu) Ne la mangeons pas! (nous) Ne la mangez pas! (vous)

What to do with Pronouns in (+) commands: In (+) commands, pronouns FOLLOW the verb form and are attached to it and each other with hyphens NOTE: LE, LA, LES go before ME, TE, NOUS, VOUS, LUI, LEUR and ALL go before EN ALL commands ending in a VOWEL, MUST add –S when followed by Y or EN *** ME becomes MOI and TE becomes TOI*** Examples: Donne la pomme à moi ---Donne-la-moi! (=Give the apple to me ---Give it to me!) Va au parc! ---Vas-y! (Go to the park! --- Go there!)

For Negative Commands: Order Arrow (La flèche de l’ordre) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. me te le lui SUBJECT (se) la y en VERB nous les leur vous

Pratique: Envoyer les lettres à tes parents (+ vous) Envoyez-les-leur! Écrire la carte à moi (- tu) Ne me l’écris pas! Faire le repas (+ nous) Faisons-le! Savoir la vérité (+ tu) Sache-la! Donner la pizza aux amis (- vous) Ne la leur donnez pas! Regarder les belles filles sur la plage (- nous) Ne les y regardons pas!