Use of do in imperative sentences

Question

"You do not flunk your exams and expect to be lauded."
"You do not talk to your mother like that."
Do these sentences mean :
"You should not flunk your exams and expect to be lauded."
"You should not talk to your mother like that."
Why do we use "do" ?

LouiseT · Accepted Answer

Yes your assumptions are correct.

"DO" in these sentences is used to be emphatic.

Englishmaven · Answer

Not to be argumentative, but I do not agree that "do" is emphatic here. "Do" holds the negative particle, and that is all it does. Additionally, "you" often means "a person," rather than "you," the one I am talking with.

So the first sentence means that it isn't logical to flunk exams and then expect to be lauded. A person should not expect to be lauded after flunking her exams.

The second sentence instructs a person about what she should not do because it is not acceptable. When it is said to an individual who has just said something ugly to her mother, it means that that particular person, the second person singular, being addressed in speech, should not talk to her mother like that because it is disrespectful.

It could be a case of "you" meaning "a person" in general. That means someone is giving his opinion about any person in that situation. You (anyone) should not talk to your (his/her) mother like that.

Mister Micawber · Answer

'Do' may or may not be emphatic.  More context is needed to determine whether they are actually imperative utterances.

Use of do in imperative sentences

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