French 2 Quiz: Affirmative Commands Imperatif
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Affirmative Commands ImperatifQuestion 1 of 10

Marie parle à son petit frère qui ne veut pas manger ses légumes. Elle lui dit : «   tes carottes ! Elles sont bonnes pour la santé ! »

Marie wants to tell her little brother to eat his carrots using an affirmative command. Which form correctly completes her sentence?

Mange
Manges
Manger
Mangez
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French 2 Quiz

French 2 Quiz: Affirmative Commands Imperatif

Practice Affirmative Commands Imperatif in French 2 with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Affirmative Commands Imperatif, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for French 2.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Marie parle à son petit frère qui ne veut pas manger ses légumes. Elle lui dit : «   tes carottes ! Elles sont bonnes pour la santé ! »

Marie wants to tell her little brother to eat his carrots using an affirmative command. Which form correctly completes her sentence?

  1. Mange (correct answer)
  2. Manges
  3. Manger
  4. Mangez
Explanation: When you see a command (an imperative) in French, your first instinct should be to identify who is being addressed and which verb form is needed. French imperatives drop the subject pronoun and use specific conjugations depending on whether you're speaking to tu, nous, or vous. Marie is speaking directly to her little brother — a single person she addresses informally — so the tu form of the imperative is required. For -er verbs like manger, the tu imperative is formed by taking the present-tense tu form and dropping the final -s. The present tense gives you tu manges, and removing the -s leaves you with mange. That makes A) Mange the correct answer — a clean, direct command perfectly suited for an older sibling telling a younger one what to do. Here's why the other choices miss the mark: B) Manges keeps the -s from the present tense, which is a very common mistake. Remember, -er verb imperatives in the tu form always drop that -s (except before y or en). C) Manger is the infinitive, the base form of the verb. Using the infinitive as a command is an English-speaker's instinct ("to eat!"), but French grammar requires a conjugated imperative, not an infinitive. D) Mangez is the vous form of the imperative, used when speaking to multiple people or showing formal respect — neither of which applies here between siblings. A handy tip: whenever you form a tu imperative with an -er verb, mentally remind yourself to "drop the S" — it's the single most tested trap in French imperative questions.

Question 2

Un étudiant écrit une note à son camarade de chambre : « S'il te plaît,   la vaisselle avant que je rentre ce soir. »

The student is using finir to ask his roommate (informally, singular) to finish the dishes. Which form correctly completes the imperative command?

  1. Finit
  2. Finie
  3. Finissez
  4. Finis (correct answer)
Explanation: When forming imperative commands in French, you need to identify two things: the subject (who you're talking to) and the verb group (which determines the stem and ending). Here, the student is speaking informally to one person — his roommate — so you need the tu form of the imperative. For finir, an -ir verb with the -iss- pattern (like choisir, remplir, etc.), the imperative is built from the present tense tu conjugation: tu finis. In the imperative, you simply drop the subject pronoun, giving you finis — which makes D the correct answer. Let's look at why the other options miss the mark. A) Finit is the third-person singular present tense (il/elle finit), not an imperative form at all — it's a statement, not a command. B) Finie is a past participle with a feminine agreement marker, which has no role in forming a direct command. C) Finissez is the imperative form, but for vous — the formal or plural "you." Since the student is speaking to a single roommate informally (tu), this register is wrong for the context. A useful tip: for -er verbs in the tu imperative, you drop the final -s (parle, not parles), but for -ir and -re verbs, you keep the -s from the present tense tu form. This distinction trips up many students, so make sure you're matching both the verb group and the correct informal singular subject when building imperative commands.

Question 3

A student is reviewing imperative forms and sees the sentence: « Aie de la patience ! » She wants to transform this into an inclusive command that includes herself and her study partners. Which sentence correctly expresses this transformation?

  1. Ayez de la patience !
  2. Ayons de la patience ! (correct answer)
  3. Avons de la patience !
  4. Ayions de la patience !
Explanation: When working with French imperatives, the key is identifying which form of the imperative matches the subject relationship. The imperative has three forms: tu (singular informal), vous (plural/formal), and nous (we/inclusive). The original sentence « Aie de la patience ! » uses the tu form of avoir, directing the command at one person. To include herself and her partners — essentially saying "let's" — the student needs the nous imperative form. The nous imperative of avoir is ayons, making B) Ayons de la patience ! the correct transformation. This follows the same pattern as the subjunctive present conjugation: que nous ayons. The imperative simply drops the pronoun, giving you Ayons ! — a natural, inclusive command equivalent to "Let's have patience!" Here's why each distractor fails: A) Ayez is the vous imperative of avoir, which addresses a group but excludes the speaker — not the inclusive "we" the student wants. It's the right irregular stem but the wrong ending. C) Avons looks tempting because it resembles the regular nous present tense of avoir, but avoir has an irregular imperative — you can't simply use the indicative conjugation as an imperative. This is a classic trap. D) Ayions is the nous imperfect subjunctive of avoir, a completely different tense and mood that doesn't function as an imperative at all. A useful tip: the irregular imperatives of avoir (aie, ayons, ayez) mirror the subjunctive forms — if you memorize one, you've memorized both. Watch for choices that swap in the regular indicative (avons) as a distractor.

Question 4

Un parent dit à son enfant qui hésite à traverser la rue : « N'aie pas peur —   courageux et traverse avec moi ! »

The parent uses être in an affirmative imperative directed at one child (informal). Which form correctly fills the blank?

  1. Soyez
  2. Sois (correct answer)
  3. Es
  4. Soit
Explanation: When you see an imperative sentence in French, your first instinct should be to identify three things: the subject (who is being addressed?), the register (formal or informal?), and the verb. These three factors determine which imperative form to use. Here, a parent speaks to one child using informal language — this tells you immediately that you need the tu form of the imperative. For most verbs, the tu imperative simply drops the subject pronoun and uses the present-tense tu conjugation. However, être is one of a handful of irregular verbs whose imperative forms come from the subjunctive, not the present indicative. The full imperative paradigm for être is: sois (tu), soyons (nous), soyez (vous). Since the parent addresses one child informally, sois — choice B — is the correct answer. Choice A, soyez, is the vous imperative of être, used for formal address or groups. The parent is speaking to a single child informally, so this form doesn't apply. Choice C, es, is the ordinary present-tense indicative form of être for tu ("tu es"), but the imperative of être does not follow the standard pattern — you can't simply drop the pronoun and use es as a command. This is the trickiest distractor, because it works for regular verbs but fails here. Choice D, soit, is the third-person singular subjunctive, used in constructions like bien qu'il soit, not as a direct command. A handy tip: memorize the irregular imperative trio — sois, soyons, soyez — alongside avoir (aie, ayons, ayez) and savoir (sache, sachons, sachez), as these appear frequently on French grammar exams.

Question 5

Un professeur s'adresse à toute la classe et dit : «   vos cahiers à la page 45 et lisez le premier paragraphe en silence. »

The teacher is giving an affirmative command to the whole class. Which verb form correctly fills the blank?

  1. Ouvrez (correct answer)
  2. Ouvre
  3. Ouvrons
  4. Ouvres
Explanation: When giving commands in French, you need to identify who is being addressed and select the correct imperative form. French has three imperative subjects: tu (one person, informal), vous (a group, or one person formally), and nous (let's…). The key here is that a teacher is speaking to the entire class — a group — which immediately points you toward the vous form. For regular -er verbs like ouvrir (to open), the imperative is built directly from the present tense conjugation, simply dropping the subject pronoun. The vous present tense is vous ouvrez, so the imperative becomes ouvrez — making A the correct answer. It fits perfectly: "Ouvrez vos cahiers à la page 45" means "Open your notebooks to page 45." Here's why the other choices miss the mark. B) Ouvre is the tu imperative — used for a single person spoken to informally, not a whole class. C) Ouvrons is the nous imperative, meaning "Let's open," which would imply the teacher is including themselves in the action as a group suggestion — not an instruction to students. D) Ouvres is a trap: it adds an -s to the tu form, which is actually never correct for -er verbs in the imperative (the tu imperative of -er verbs drops the final -s: ouvre, not ouvres). A quick tip: whenever you see a classroom or group setting, default to vous imperative. Ask yourself — is one person being addressed informally (tu), a group or formal individual (vous), or is the speaker included (nous)? That three-way check will guide you every time.

Question 6

A French tutor is directing a group of students to practice more. She says to them: «   plus souvent en français pendant la classe ! » Which imperative form is both grammatically correct AND contextually appropriate, given that the tutor is giving a directive to her students rather than proposing a shared activity?

  1. Parlez (correct answer)
  2. Parlons
  3. Parle
  4. Parler
Explanation: When you see an imperative question in French, ask yourself two things: Who is being addressed? and What is the relationship between the speaker and the audience? These two factors determine which imperative form is grammatically and contextually correct. Here, a tutor is giving a directive to her students — she is not including herself in the action. This means you need the second-person plural imperative (vous form), which is used when speaking to a group formally or directing others to do something without the speaker participating. That form is A) Parlez — the correct answer. Drop the vous pronoun, keep the -ez ending, and you have a clean, authoritative command: "Parlez plus souvent en français pendant la classe!" Now let's address the wrong choices. B) Parlons is the nous imperative, meaning "Let's speak." This form implies the speaker is joining in the activity — like a coach saying "Let's go!" The tutor is directing students, not proposing a shared activity, so this is contextually wrong even though it's grammatically valid as an imperative. C) Parle is the tu imperative — used for one person you address informally. The tutor is speaking to a group (plural students), so this fails both in number and register. D) Parler is simply the infinitive, not an imperative at all — it means "to speak" and cannot function as a command on its own. A useful tip: whenever you identify an imperative question, immediately ask "Is the speaker included or excluded from the command?" If excluded and addressing a group, reach for vous → Parlez.

Question 7

Deux amis font une randonnée. L'un dit à l'autre : « Tu es fatigué ?   une pause ici — on a encore du temps. »

Which imperative form of faire correctly completes the sentence addressed to one friend?

  1. Fais (correct answer)
  2. Fait
  3. Faites
  4. Faire
Explanation: When you see an imperative sentence in French, your first job is to identify who is being addressed — because French imperatives have three distinct forms depending on the subject: tu (one person, informally), vous (multiple people or formal singular), and nous (let's...). In this passage, one friend is speaking directly to the other — a single person in an informal, casual hiking conversation. That means you need the tu form of the imperative. For faire, the tu imperative is fais — making A the correct answer. Notice that the sentence is a command ("take a break here"), not a statement or description, which confirms you need an imperative rather than any other verb form. Here's why the other options miss the mark: B) Fait looks like the third-person present tense (il/elle fait) or a past participle, neither of which functions as an imperative. It's a classic trap for students who confuse conjugated forms with commands. C) Faites is indeed a valid imperative, but it's the vous form — used when addressing multiple people or in formal situations. Since only one friend is being addressed casually, faites is the wrong register and number. D) Faire is simply the infinitive. In French, infinitives are not used as imperatives the way they sometimes are on warning signs — in direct conversation, you must use a properly conjugated imperative form. A reliable study tip: always ask yourself tu, vous, or nous? before choosing an imperative form. For irregular verbs like faire, memorize all three imperative forms together — fais / faisons / faites — as a set.

Question 8

Which of the following sentences contains a correctly formed affirmative nous imperative that would be natural for a group leader suggesting a shared activity?

  1. Aller au marché ensemble ce matin !
  2. Allez au marché ensemble ce matin !
  3. Va au marché ensemble ce matin !
  4. Allons au marché ensemble ce matin ! (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question asks about imperative mood in French, your first task is to identify who is being addressed and what form the verb should take. The imperative has three forms: tu (singular informal), vous (plural or formal), and nous (first-person plural, meaning "let's do something together"). A group leader suggesting a shared activity calls for the nous imperative — the "let's" construction. For the verb aller, the nous imperative is formed directly from the present tense nous form: nous allons → drop nous → allons. So "Allons au marché ensemble ce matin!" translates naturally as "Let's go to the market together this morning!" — exactly what a group leader would say. That makes D the correct answer. Now let's look at why the other options fail. A uses aller, which is the infinitive, not an imperative form at all. You cannot use an infinitive to give a command in standard French. B uses allez, which is the vous imperative — correct conjugation, but it addresses others rather than including the speaker. A group leader saying allez would be directing the group, not joining them, which contradicts "shared activity." C uses va, the tu imperative of aller, which is singular and informal — it would only address one person and excludes the speaker entirely, making it both singular and non-inclusive. A handy tip: whenever you see a prompt about a speaker including themselves in a suggestion ("let's..."), mentally reach for the nous imperative. It's the only form that puts the speaker inside the action.

Question 9

Camille veut encourager ses amis à essayer une nouvelle recette ensemble. Elle dit : «   cette recette ensemble ce week-end — ça va être délicieux ! »

Camille uses the verb essayer to invite her friends to try the recipe with her (inclusive 'let's'). Which imperative form is correct, keeping in mind the spelling of this verb?

  1. Essayez
  2. Essaions
  3. Essayons (correct answer)
  4. Essayions
Explanation: When Camille says "let's try this recipe together," she needs the first-person plural imperative — the "nous" command form that means "let's do something." This form is built directly from the nous present-tense conjugation, minus the subject pronoun. So your first step is always: what is the correct nous present-tense form of the verb? For essayer, a verb ending in -ayer, the nous form follows a regular pattern: nous essayons. The "y" is kept throughout the nous and vous forms (unlike singular forms, where the "y" can optionally become "i"). Strip the pronoun, and your imperative is essayons — confirming that C is correct. Now let's look at the traps. A) Essayez is the vous imperative ("you all, try!"), which would be addressing friends as a group to do something themselves — not inviting them to join Camille in doing it together. That's the wrong person and the wrong relationship. B) Essaions is simply not a real French form — it seems to blend essayer with an incorrect stem, and it doesn't follow any standard conjugation pattern. D) Essayions looks like the imperfect or present subjunctive nous form (que nous essayions), not the imperative. Adding that extra "i" is a classic mix-up between the imperative and the subjunctive. Study tip: Whenever you need the "let's" imperative, conjugate the verb in the present tense nous form and drop the pronoun. If you're unsure about the stem, trust the nous present-tense spelling — it's your reliable anchor.

Question 10

A student is studying the imperative and encounters the verb être. Which of the following correctly gives ALL THREE imperative forms of être in the order tu / nous / vous?

  1. Sois / soyez / soyons
  2. Es / sommes / êtes
  3. Sois / soyons / soyez (correct answer)
  4. Soit / soyons / soyez
Explanation: When you encounter imperative forms of irregular verbs like être, the key is remembering that the imperative doesn't always borrow from the present indicative — some verbs use their subjunctive stem instead. Être is one of these special cases. The imperative of être comes from the present subjunctive, which gives you soit, soyons, and soyez. However, the tu form drops the final -t, following the same rule that removes the -s from -ER verbs in the tu imperative. So the three forms become: sois (tu), soyons (nous), soyez (vous) — exactly what answer C gives you, in the correct tu / nous / vous order. Choice A (sois / soyez / soyons) has the right words but scrambles the order: it places the vous form before the nous form, which doesn't match the requested tu / nous / vous sequence. Always double-check the order the question specifies. Choice B (es / sommes / êtes) pulls directly from the present indicative of être, which is a natural but incorrect instinct. Regular verbs use present indicative forms for the imperative, but être is irregular and does not follow this pattern. Choice D (soit / soyons / soyez) uses soit for the tu form, which is actually the third-person subjunctive. The tu imperative requires dropping the -t, giving sois, not soit. A useful tip: memorize the three irregular imperative verbs — être (sois/soyons/soyez), avoir (aie/ayons/ayez), and savoir (sache/sachons/sachez) — as a group, since they all follow this subjunctive-based pattern and appear frequently on exams.