Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
Imperative sentence
English answer:
Imperative is used when giving instructions
Added to glossary by
Enza Longo
Aug 31, 2005 00:48
18 yrs ago
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English term
Accurate -- Reliable -- Fast
Native in: Chinese 
Works in: English to Chinese, Chinese to English, German to Chinese, and 3 more.
Imperative sentence
English
Medical
Chemistry; Chem Sci/Eng
Context: Test Sample Preparation Method:
Dissolve 5 g xxxx (batch. No: 02030) in 10 ml ethyl acetate at 40¡æ, and add 2 g chromatographic silica gel for adsorption. Condense the mixture under vacuum to a dry matter, which was taken as the stock sample. Add about 22 g chromatographic silica gel into a 60 ml sand core funnel that was then shaken for compactness, and add the stock sample. Cover with a filter paper and let the sample dissolve and evenly flow down. Rinse 10 times with 20 ml of ethyl acetate under reduced pressure and monitor the thin-layer chromatographic process. Combine fractions 2-5, let the combined fraction condense to 15ml and precipitate via naturally cooling down. Cool in a refrigeratory, filter and dry, thus 3 g resulting product obtained for use.
Question: it is in a research report not a use instruction.
Can imperative sentences be used in this kind of "Method"?
TIA!!!
Dissolve 5 g xxxx (batch. No: 02030) in 10 ml ethyl acetate at 40¡æ, and add 2 g chromatographic silica gel for adsorption. Condense the mixture under vacuum to a dry matter, which was taken as the stock sample. Add about 22 g chromatographic silica gel into a 60 ml sand core funnel that was then shaken for compactness, and add the stock sample. Cover with a filter paper and let the sample dissolve and evenly flow down. Rinse 10 times with 20 ml of ethyl acetate under reduced pressure and monitor the thin-layer chromatographic process. Combine fractions 2-5, let the combined fraction condense to 15ml and precipitate via naturally cooling down. Cool in a refrigeratory, filter and dry, thus 3 g resulting product obtained for use.
Question: it is in a research report not a use instruction.
Can imperative sentences be used in this kind of "Method"?
TIA!!!
Responses
| 4 +4 | yes |
Enza Longo
|
| 4 | see explanation |
Lori Utecht/Vívian M Alves
|
Responses
+4
31 mins
Selected
yes
One of the uses of the imperative is to give instructions -in your case, giving instructions on how to prepare the test sample.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alex Crichton
: If you were to aviod the imperative in aprodedure this long (e.g. with passives), it would get tiresome.
30 mins
|
| agree |
RHELLER
: a method implies instructions and we always use imperatives for instructions (like a recipe)
41 mins
|
| agree |
Elizabeth Lyons
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
5 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks!"
1 hr
Lori Utecht/Vívian M Alves
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
United States
Passionate. Precise. Professional.
Native in: English , Portuguese
Works in: English, Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese, and 7 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
see explanation
I'm not so sure. Since you say it is a research report - not a use instruction, that sounds to me like you are describing something that has already happened. (and it seems to show up in the sentence beginning "Condense . .. which WAS taken." However, your context says "test sample preparation method, which WOULD indicate you can use imperative, as Enza Longo suggests. I realize now I should have asked a question for clarification! I'll do that!
Discussion