Command
What the player types at a prompt in order to produce results in the game world. In the majority of cases, a command consists of an imperative verb, and is sometimes followed by a direct object or prepositional phrase (for example: "get out of bed"). The command may generate an action, but this could fail to happen if, for instance, the command references an object that is not available to be interacted with.
A command determines the actions of the character and the flow of the story. Different commands will yield different outcomes. A player can include several commands on one line by separating them with periods, the word THEN, or a comma followed by the word AND.
(Montfort 2003) distinguishes a command, which tell the player character to do something within the IF world, from a directive (such as "quit" or "verbose") which does not have any meaning within the IF world.
See also meta-command, undo, restart, restore, quit.
Examples of usual commands
look look at/examine something inventory go north/up/sw/etc take/drop something put something somewhere get/stand up open/close container ask someone about/for something tell someone about something talk to someone show something to someone
Examples of unusual, contextual commands
wake up take a shower climb tree kiss her close eyes make the bed vacuum drive Tom, take the key then open the door attack orc with sword what is a grue?