Commands You now know how to diagram two types of sentences: declarative sentences (statements) and interrogative sentences (questions). Now you’ll learn how to diagram another type of sentence, commands. The fancy name for commands is imperative sentences. Here are some examples of commands. Go. Stay. Sit. Did you notice how short those sentences are? All three of them are made of only one word, a verb. What is the subject of those sentences? The subject in all imperative sentences is implied. That means that it is not written or said. It is just understood. When you give a command, you are always addressing someone or something. You are telling them to do something, and you have to address them if you’re going to tell them to do it, right? The subject of a command is the person or thing you are talking to. So, we say that the subject of commands is you understood. We write you understood like this: (you) Since the word you is not written or spoken in the sentence, it goes in parentheses.
Imperative sentences give commands. The subject of imperative sentences is you understood or (you). Examples: Go. Stay. Sit.
(You) is a pronoun. It is taking the place of the noun that names the person or thing you are talking to, and it is always the subject of commands. Diagramming Commands Diagram commands just like you diagram other sentences. Put the subject, (you), in the place where the subject goes.
Imperative sentences end with periods or exclamation marks.
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