Imperatives and directive strategies have intrigued both formalists and functionalists. They continue to search for the answers to questions like -what are the semantics of the imperative?-, -how is it used (in the world's languages)?- and -which factors determine the choice between imperatives and other directive strategies?-. This volume takes a broadly functional-typological perspective and contributes to the literature in several respects. It presents new data from a variety of languages, some of which have not been studied in depth before. It exemplifies the benefits of traditional...