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     Table of Contents Chapter 32 32.7 Word order in an imperative phrase
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Chapter 32: Imperative

  32.7 Word order in an imperative phrase

The word order in phrases was discussed in the chapter 27 about Position of the elements in a sentence, which was not too easy as we admit. However, there are no modal verbs, no conjunctions nor auxilliaries in imperative phrases. Therefore, things are not too complicated.

Compare these phrases  
  affirmative phrase: Du machst es heute
  imperative: Mach es heute!
 
  affirmative phrase: Du gehst jetzt Kartoffeln kaufen.
  imperative: Geh jetzt Kartoffeln kaufen!
   
  affirmative phrase: Du schenkst ihr die Blumen.
  imperative: Schenk ihr die Blumen!
   
  affirmative phrase: Du schenkst sie ihr.
  imperative: Schenk sie ihr!
   
  affirmative phrase: Ihr schenkt sie ihr.
  imperative: Schenkt sie ihr!
   
  affirmative phrase: Sie schenken sie ihr.
  imperative: Schenken Sie sie ihr!

You see? Concerning the position of the elements in a phrase there is no difference (or let's say very little) between an affirmative phrase and the imperative. The personal pronoun in the second person singular and plural is omitted. The first and third person plural changes places with the verb.
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