Be gone!

AnonymousWhat is the purpose of the verb to be in these constructions?

It makes the phrases imperative:

I want you to behave more politely --
I want you to be more polite --
Be polite!

I want you to not be here --
I want you to be gone --
Be gone!

Also note that "gone" and "seated" are adjectives.

Ant_222It makes the phrases imperative

Both forms are imperative (go away and be gone). What I am asking is what is the difference between the two if there is one.

I thought you were asking about the function of the verb "be"...

AnonymousWhat I am asking is what is the difference between the two if there is one.

Different style and emotional colouration.

I think some sorcerer is likely to say "be gone!" to an evil spirit that he summoned by mistake...

Hi,

With the meaning of 'Go away!', this rather archaic phrase is usually written as one word, 'Begone!'

Clive

CliveWith the meaning of 'Go away!', this rather archaic phrase is usually written as one word, 'Begone!'

Really? Google say: begone, 1 million; be gone, 8 million.

Hi,
I didn't mean that you can't say things like 'U.S. troops will be gone by 2008'.

I just meant that if you want to tell someone to go away, the archaic-sounding imperative form to use is 'Begone!'

Best wishes, Clive

Clivethe archaic-sounding imperative form

So, is "please be seated" also "archaic".

Really? Google say: begone, 1 million; be gone, 8 million.

I didn't mean that you can't say things like 'U.S. troops will be gone by 2008'

This is yet another example of an open-ended (dare I say naive?) Google search yielding misleading results.

Sorry for being so naive and misleading.

HuevosSorry for being so naive and misleading.

My co