French Grammar in Context

The imperative in the texts

1 USAGE

Much as in English, the imperative is used to express orders and to give instructions (text 1),

advice (text 2), encouragement, etc.

2 FORMATION

a Imperatives are formed from the second-person, singular and plural, and the first-person

plural forms of the present indicative. The subject pronoun is deleted, as is also the final -sof

any second-person singular verb which ends in -esor -as. All the examples in the texts are

second-person plural, e.g. in text 1: farcissez, salez, poivrez(lines 13, 15), mettez(line 16),

éteignez(line 35), and in text 2: apprenez(line 2), fuyez(line 5), vivez(line 8).

b Pronominal verbs, like s’informer, keep their object pronouns in the imperative, e.g. in text 2:

informez-vous(line 9), and ne vous exposez pas(line 10).

3 TREATMENT OF OBJECT PRONOUNS

a With affirmative (positive) imperatives, any object pronouns, direct, indirect or reflexive, and

the pronouns yand en, follow immediately after the verb and in written French are attached to

the verb by a hyphen, e.g. in text 1, badigeonnez-la(line 15), gardez-les(line 36), saisissez-la

(line 40), achevez-en(line 45), and in text 2, informez-vous(line 9).

b With negative imperatives, any such pronouns precede the verb, just as they would with a

non-imperative verb, e.g. in text 2, ne vous exposez pas(line 10).

Other points to note in the texts

• Infinitive as imperative: Prévoir l’huile(text 1, line 11). See Discover more about the imperative,
  below


• Subjunctive: jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient cuits(text 1, line 34) (see Chapter 26)

124 French Grammar in Context

Que faire alors si le problème n’est pas

traité? Automobiliste,apprenezla

sagesse:conduisezsans à-coups;faites

régler votre voiture;utilisezde l’essence

sans plomb;fuyezles embouteillages

car l’habitacle de votre véhicule est

aussi pollué que l’air extérieur, etosezle

transport en commun. Piéton,vivez

avisé:informez-vousde la qualité de

l’air;ne vous exposez pasaux pointes

de pollution;faitesvotre jogging le

matin plutôt que l’après-midi, quand les

niveaux d’ozone risquent d’être plus

élevés. Et éventuellement, comme

Danièle Craignic,portezplainte contre

les pouvoirs publics!

Text 2

5

10

15

Caroline Brizard, Le Nouvel Observateur