This paper studies the variety of Arabic imperative sentences, which are seen as the result of an interrelated set of choices made from a limited number of binary systems, and analyzes their occurrence in different situations. Where possible, relevant features of Arabic imperative structures are compared with their nearest English equivalents. The conditions which determine the choice of one or the other of paired imperative structures are set out. These conditions include specification, impatience, person, insistence, and negation. The analysis covers both formal and colloquial utterances. (MSE)