English A1 · Imperatives and question words
Bahasa Inggris A1 Topik 9 5:04 Narasi bahasa Inggris · Subtitle bahasa Inggris + 中文 disematkan langsung
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Two survival tools in one topic. The imperative tells people what to do: sit down, listen, don't run. The question words ask for information: what, where, when, who, why, how. Together they run a whole classroom: the teacher says open your books, and you ask why. Internally. Ideally.
The imperative is the shortest sentence in English: just the base verb, with an invisible you as the subject. Stand up. Don't be late. Please sit down, or close the door, please; please works at both ends, and the end position sounds slightly warmer. The imperative is not rude by itself; tone and please carry the manners. Eat, said to a friend with cake, is friendship, not aggression. And the teachers' favourites: listen, look at the board, don't sleep. The last one is aspirational.
Pause and choose. Don't run! The negative imperative is don't plus the base verb. Not run is missing the wall's bricks, doesn't run hired the third-person helper for a subject that doesn't exist, and you no run broke the invisibility rule and the negation rule at the same time, which is almost impressive.
The question words. What asks about a thing, where about a place, when about a time, who about a person, why about a reason, and how about a way or a condition. How also teams up: how old for age, how many for countable things, how much for uncountables and prices. And the world's most automatic conversation runs on how: how are you? Fine, thanks. Nobody has ever answered honestly, and the world keeps turning.
Pause and choose. How much water do you drink every day? Water is uncountable, so how much. How many counts books and bottles, how old measures people and cheese, and how alone would ask about the method of drinking, which is a strange question to ask anyone.
Here is the big structural difference. In Chinese, the question word stays where the answer would go: ni xihuan shenme, word by word, you like what. English moves the question word to the front, then flips: what do you like. With be, flip be: where is the bank? With other verbs, hire the helper: where does she live? You like what as a real question is spoken surprise only, the cousin of you are a student from topic one. The jump is the whole game; practise it until it is automatic.
Pause and choose. Where does she live? The question word jumps first, the helper does follows, and the main verb relaxes to base form, because does ate the s back in topic seven. Option one kept the Chinese order. Option two jumped but skipped the helper. Option four asked be to carry a lexical verb, which is two machines sharing a toolbox again.
Two loyal pairs. Why and because attend every party together: why are you late? Because I missed the bus. And how asks for words and ways: how do you say ding-shu-ji in English? A stapler. One guard from topic seven still stands: after does, the main verb relaxes. What does she like, never what does she likes. The s moved house, and it is not coming back.
Pause and choose. How do you say ding-shu-ji in English? The safe, natural exam choice. What means X puts the grammar backwards, and how to say is a heading, not a question; English questions want the flip, even when the phrase is famous from phrasebooks. Learn the full question and the stapler will always be within reach.
Give three commands and ask three questions, kindly. Open your notebook. Write one question. Don't show anyone. Then the interview: what is your favourite food? Where do you eat it? How much is it? Answer in full sentences. And did you notice please at the front? Polite and grammatical, the two great tastes of classroom English.
Pause for four checks. Sit down: the base verb alone, with the invisible you. Please sit down or sit down, please: please works at both ends. What do you like: the question word jumps first, then the helper. And how many books but how much water: count or measure. Next topic, the last of A1: prepositions of place, the little words that say where everything is.