Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Negative imperatives

293b

Negative imperatives are constructed with auxiliary do. Contracted don’t is the

most common form in spoken language:

Please 

don’t tell him until he rings me.

Don’t be silly.

In more formal styles the full form do not often occurs:

[instructions for keeping a cake fresh for a long time]

Do not store in a sealed plastic container or in the kitchen, as the humidity will

make it sweat and go mouldy.

Short negative imperative answers or reactions may consist of don’t without a

lexical verb:

A: Should I tell her, do you think?

B: No, don’t. It’ll only upset her.

Negative imperatives with subject pronoun

Negative imperatives with emphatic subject pronoun you or with an indefinite

subject (e.g. nobody) may also occur, especially in informal spoken language:

You know we’re coming up again next year. 

Don’t you worry, Ursula, we’ll be

up you know.

I’ll tell her. 

Don’t you say anything.

Nobody say a word, okay.