Linguistic Nature of the Command (Imperative Mood):
Unlike declarative statements (which report) or questions (which inquire), a command demands action from the listener. Teach the child that even though the word "you" is not spoken or written, the subject is mentally understood: [You] Shut the door.
Section B • Copywork & Punctuation Verification:
Shut the door. — Capital S, terminal period (.).Walk very softly. — Capital W, terminal period (.). Note the adverb softly describing manner.Please open the window. — Capital P, terminal period (.). Demonstrates that adding Please softens an order into a courteous request while retaining its imperative syntax.
Section C • Discrimination Key:
- The gentle dog sat on the rug. → Statement (Declares a fact, ends with period).
- Bring me the storybook. → Command (Gives an order to fetch, ends with period).
- Did you hear the bird sing? → Question (Asks for information, ends with interrogation point).
- Please listen to the teacher. → Command (Polite directive, ends with period).
Section D • Exemplar Pupil Commands:
- To a pet:
Come here, little dog. or Eat your food quietly.
- Polite request:
Please pass me the bread. or Please hand me my pencil.
| Competency |
Mastery (Exemplary) |
Developing |
Needs Guidance |
| Definition & Identification |
Accurately identifies all 4 sentence types without error. |
Identifies 3 sentence types correctly. |
Confuses polite commands with statements. |
| Imperative Composition |
Writes 2 natural, grammatically correct commands with action verbs. |
Writes 1 command correctly or includes an explicit subject ("You go"). |
Writes descriptive statements instead of orders. |
| Mechanics & Punctuation |
Every command begins with a capital and ends with a period. |
1 capitalization or punctuation omission. |
Missing both capitals and end marks. |
| Courtesy Awareness |
Correctly applies "Please" to create a courteous command. |
Applies "Please" with teacher prompt. |
Does not understand how to soften an imperative. |