1. A computer-implemented method of translating an imperative natural language sentence into formal query text for an object-relational database, the method comprising: receiving, in a computer system, a natural language imperative sentence, wherein the imperative sentence is a sentence that expresses a request for information; parsing, in the computer system, the imperative natural language sentence to identify one or more verb phrases of the sentence; parsing, in the computer system, the imperative natural language sentence to identify one or more noun phrases of the sentence; determining, in the computer system, from each parsed natural language verb phrase one or more defined object-relational methods; determining, in the computer system, from each parsed natural language noun phrase one or more object-relational data source elements; and using the one or more determined object-relational methods and the one or more determined data source elements to create a formal query text in an object-relational algebra compatible for use in the object-relational database.