こと as an Imperative

Question

I just came across the grammar being metioned here http://japanesetest4you.com/flashcard/learn-jlpt-n3-grammar-%e3%81%93%e3%81%a8-koto/. It states yet another way to form the imperative.

To my surprise I cannot find any related info for this on google. I already know three other ways on how to form the imperative. Where exactly does こと fit in?

• ?: Verb + こと

  お金を大切にすること。

• Command: Verb-stem+なさい

  お金を大切にしなさい。

• More straight forward/abrupt

  お金を大切にしろ。

• Request: てください

  お金を大切にしてください。

One difference I noticed is that you can use こと for both positive and negative verbs which makes it really convenient. Unlike with the others, where you would have to use

するな

or

しないでください

respectively.

Answer 1

「Verb in Dictionary Form (Affirmative or Negative) + こと」

is a valid and very common way of forming an imperative. We all grow up hearing this imperative form used by our teachers, parents, older kids, etc. It is that kind of strict imperative; It is not a friendly request. You have no choice but to obey. ♡

This 「こと」 is a sentence-ending particle and it should be treated differently from the noun 「こと/事」. You will find this usage of 「こと」 in every monolingual dictionary. Read (if you could) where it says 終助{しゅうじょ}, which means "sentence-ending particle" here for instance: 「こと」in 大辞林　

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List of karate school rules found on the Internet:

Answer 2

According to "A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar", page 135:

こと: an auxiliary noun to express a command.
It is used only in written Japanese.
They often appear in rules and regulations.

Examples:
私語は慎むこと。
Refrain from whispering.

先に必ずテープを聞くこと。
Be sure to listen to the tape beforehand.