We can conclude that only several form of question tags can be used as an imperative, and have similar meaning with please. Also have a rising
intonation but this sentence is a command not a question. These are the following points according to Swan in imperative to make
imperative sentence more variety which is suitable with the function of the imperative itself.
a. Imperative can be used to make sentences more emphatic by putting do before it. This often happens in polite request, complaints and apologies.
Do sit down.
Do forgive me – I didn’t mean to interrupt.
Do try to make less noise, children.
The word do in the example is to make sentence more polite and also to complain something.
b. Always and never come before imperatives.
Always remember to smile.
Never speak to me like that again.
Normally, always and never does not put at the beginning of a sentence. But, for imperative sentences those words can be put at the beginning of a sentence.
Because imperative rarely use the subject, so always and never can be put at the beginning of imperative sentence.
c. Do is used as an auxiliary with be in negative imperative sentences when we tell somebody not to do something.
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In another word do also can be used to prohibit someone. It is also common in affirmative imperative sentences when
we want to give more emphasis to what we say like in the first point. Although do is not normally used with be to make questions and negatives. In
imperative, do is used to make negative and emphatic imperatives.
Don’t be late.
Don’t be such a nuisance
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Michael Swan, Practical English Language, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982, p. 95.
Do be quiet
Do be careful
Do is also sometimes used with be in one or more other structures which have a similar meaning to imperative sentences.
Why don’t you take a nap.
Why don’t you go to the dentist.
why don’t you in the example above means do some thing and it is used to make a friendly suggestion, to give friendly advice.
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Others following points are explained by Murcia and Freeman in imperative about power differential and equals.
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a. Power differential, the appropriate time to use imperative especially
commands are when there is a power difference between the speaker and the listener. The authority is given to the speaker to command the listener to do
something.
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However, the generalization about imperatives are used when cooperation is assumed or the cooperation between two people or more.
b. Equals , imperative not only used when between two people have power
differential but also in equals. Equals who presume they have rights over something use imperatives.
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In this equals is when person have right about something they will have strangeness than the other one who did not have the
right. For example, when children play with their friends toy, the owner of the toy demands, “Give me back my toy.” But, the child who is not the owner and
has no right about the toy, they will more likely to make the request to play with that toy, like in the example: “Can I play with the toy?”
28
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Fundamentals of English Grammar: Third Edition, New York: Pearson Education, 2003, p. 215.
29
Marianne Celce-Murcia, and Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book: An ESLEFL Teacher’s Course, Rowley: Newbury House Publishers, Inc., 1983, p. 142.
30
Marianne Celce-Murcia, and Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book: An ESLEFL Teacher’s Course, … p. 142.
31
Marianne Celce-Murcia, and Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book: An ESLEFL Teacher’s Course, … p. 143.
This is the other points that according to Jespersen about imperative:
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Imperatives are often used in such a way that no real request is meant: the hearer or reader is only asked to imagine some condition, and then the consequence is
stated:
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See deep enough, and you see musically. It means that this kind of imperative is not used to command people and
this is not used in the classroom. This kind makes imperative richer than people see before that imperative only show command or request.
In sum up, imperative has some types. Begin from command, request, and another kind. Every kind has its own rule and function. It depends on the
situation, to whom we speak and how many persons who involve in speech.
B. Total Physical Response
1. The Understanding of Total Physical Response
There are some definitions of Total Physical Response. According to Asher in Richards and Rodgers’ book, “Total Physical Response TPR is a
language teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical motor activity.”
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It means that learning language through Total Physical Response is not only sitting in the
classroom but they are also using their body to act what teacher speaks or command. This is in line with the assumption from Setiyadi about Total Physical
Response who claim that “memory is increases if it stimulated through association with motor activity and the process to learning the first language.”
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It means that learning first language will be more effective if students using their physical
movement to stimulate their memory.
32
Otto Jespersen, Essentials of English Grammar, London: Lowe and Brydone Ltd., 1981, p. 295.
33
Otto Jespersen, Essentials of English Grammar,… p. 295.
34
Jack C. Richards, and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A Description and Analysis, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986, p. 87.
35
Bambang Setiyadi, Teaching English as A Foreign Language, Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2006, p. 125.
