‘Is there anyone there?’ he called. ‘Where are you?’It is also sometimes effective within a narrative to create a
particular effect.
Using the imperative
The imperative is also more likely to be used in dialogue. It
is used for commands.
Come here.
Put out that cigarette.
Stop talking.
Go to bed.All of these are sentences and follow the rules but the
subject, ‘you’ (second person – singular or plural) is under-
stood. The person being given the orders is ‘you’.
Checklist
◆ Each sentence must contain at least one main clause.
◆ A simple sentence has only one main clause.
◆ A compound sentence contains two or more main
clauses.
◆ A complex sentence contains a mixture of main and
subordinate clauses.
◆ Don’t use commas to separate two main clauses.
◆ Vary your sentence structure.
◆ There are a variety of different clauses you can use.
64 / IMPROVE YOUR PUNCTUATION & GRAMMAR