Mastering the use of ‘s’ ending verbs is crucial for accurate and fluent English communication. This grammar point, while seemingly simple, often trips up learners and even native speakers.
Understanding when and why verbs take an ‘s’ ending is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct sentences, especially in the present simple tense. This article provides a comprehensive guide to ‘s’ ending verbs, covering definitions, rules, common mistakes, and plenty of examples to help you confidently use them in your writing and speaking.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this guide will clarify any confusion and solidify your understanding of this essential grammar concept.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition of ‘S’ Ending Verbs
- Structural Breakdown
- Types and Categories
- Examples of ‘S’ Ending Verbs
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Definition of ‘S’ Ending Verbs
An ‘s’ ending verb is a verb that has the letter ‘s’ added to its base form. This grammatical feature is primarily used in the present simple tense when the subject is a third-person singular pronoun or noun. The ‘s’ ending indicates agreement between the subject and the verb, making it a fundamental aspect of subject-verb agreement in English grammar. Understanding this concept is crucial for constructing grammatically correct and clear sentences.
The primary function of adding ‘s’ to a verb is to show that the action is being performed by a single, specific person, place, or thing. It signifies that the subject is neither the speaker (first person – I, we) nor the person being spoken to (second person – you). This distinction helps clarify who is performing the action described by the verb.
Contextually, ‘s’ ending verbs are most commonly found in sentences describing habits, routines, general truths, or facts. They are used to express actions that occur regularly or are generally true. For example, “The sun rises in the east” is a general truth, and “She drinks coffee every morning” describes a routine. Understanding these contexts will help you identify when an ‘s’ ending verb is required.
Structural Breakdown
The structure involving ‘s’ ending verbs is relatively straightforward. In the present simple tense, when the subject is a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, it) or a singular noun, the verb takes an ‘s’ ending. The basic structure is: Subject (He/She/It/Singular Noun) + Verb + -s/es.
For example:
- He walks to school.
- She eats breakfast.
- It rains frequently here.
- The dog barks loudly.
When the subject is not a third-person singular, the verb remains in its base form without the ‘s’ ending. For example:
- I walk to school.
- You eat breakfast.
- We live here.
- They play football.
The addition of ‘s’ is not always as simple as just adding ‘s’ to the end of the word. Some verbs require the addition of ‘es’ instead.
This typically occurs with verbs that end in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o. For example:
- He kisses his wife.
- She watches television.
- It goes to the park.
Verbs ending in a consonant followed by ‘y’ require a change. The ‘y’ is dropped, and ‘ies’ is added.
For example:
- He studies hard. (study -> studies)
- She flies a kite. (fly -> flies)
Types and Categories
Verbs that take ‘s’ endings can be categorized into regular, irregular, and auxiliary verbs. Each category follows slightly different rules and patterns.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs are the most straightforward. To form the third-person singular present simple, simply add ‘s’ to the base form of the verb (or ‘es’ if the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o). Examples include walks, eats, plays, watches, kisses, goes.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the standard pattern of adding ‘s’ or ‘es’. The most common irregular verb is “to have,” which becomes “has” in the third-person singular present simple.
Another example is “to do,” which becomes “does”.
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, such as do, have, be, also change in the third-person singular. Do becomes does, have becomes has, and be takes the forms is (for singular) and are (for plural) in the present tense. Understanding how these auxiliary verbs change is crucial for forming questions and negative sentences.
Examples of ‘S’ Ending Verbs
The following sections provide examples of ‘s’ ending verbs used in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences, showcasing their application in various contexts.
Affirmative Sentences
Affirmative sentences state a fact or assertion. In the present simple tense, the third-person singular subject is followed by the verb with an ‘s’ ending.
Here’s a table illustrating affirmative sentences with ‘s’ ending verbs:
| Subject | Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| He | walks | He walks to the store every day. |
| She | eats | She eats a healthy breakfast. |
| It | rains | It rains frequently in the spring. |
| The dog | barks | The dog barks at strangers. |
| My brother | plays | My brother plays the guitar. |
| The cat | sleeps | The cat sleeps on the sofa. |
| The sun | shines | The sun shines brightly. |
| She | reads | She reads a book every night. |
| He | writes | He writes emails for work. |
| It | smells | It smells delicious in the kitchen. |
| The bird | sings | The bird sings in the morning. |
| My sister | dances | My sister dances beautifully. |
| He | cooks | He cooks dinner every evening. |
| She | cleans | She cleans the house on weekends. |
| It | works | It works perfectly. |
| The car | runs | The car runs smoothly. |
| He | teaches | He teaches English at the university. |
| She | studies | She studies medicine. |
| It | costs | It costs a lot of money. |
| The baby | cries | The baby cries at night. |
| He | fixes | He fixes computers. |
| She | washes | She washes the dishes. |
| It | buzzes | The bee buzzes about the garden. |
| The clock | ticks | The clock ticks loudly. |
| He | rushes | He rushes to work every morning. |
| She | misses | She misses her family. |
| It | shines | The sun shines brightly in summer. |
| The boy | kicks | The boy kicks the ball. |
Negative Sentences
Negative sentences express the opposite of an affirmative statement. In the present simple tense, negative sentences with third-person singular subjects use “does not” (or “doesn’t”) followed by the base form of the verb (without ‘s’).
The auxiliary verb “does” already carries the third-person singular marker, so the main verb does not need it.
Here’s a table illustrating negative sentences with ‘s’ ending verbs:
| Subject | Auxiliary Verb | Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| He | doesn’t | walk | He doesn’t walk to the store. |
| She | doesn’t | eat | She doesn’t eat meat. |
| It | doesn’t | rain | It doesn’t rain often in the summer. |
| The dog | doesn’t | bark | The dog doesn’t bark at night. |
| My brother | doesn’t | play | My brother doesn’t play video games. |
| The cat | doesn’t | sleep | The cat doesn’t sleep on the bed. |
| The sun | doesn’t | shine | The sun doesn’t shine today because it’s cloudy. |
| She | doesn’t | read | She doesn’t read newspapers. |
| He | doesn’t | write | He doesn’t write letters anymore. |
| It | doesn’t | smell | It doesn’t smell good in here. |
| The bird | doesn’t | sing | The bird doesn’t sing in the cage. |
| My sister | doesn’t | dance | My sister doesn’t dance very often. |
| He | doesn’t | cook | He doesn’t cook on weekdays. |
| She | doesn’t | clean | She doesn’t clean her room regularly. |
| It | doesn’t | work | It doesn’t work properly. |
| The car | doesn’t | run | The car doesn’t run well in the winter. |
| He | doesn’t | teach | He doesn’t teach on Fridays. |
| She | doesn’t | study | She doesn’t study on the weekends. |
| It | doesn’t | cost | It doesn’t cost much. |
| The baby | doesn’t | cry | The baby doesn’t cry very often. |
| He | doesn’t | fix | He doesn’t fix cars. |
| She | doesn’t | wash | She doesn’t wash the car. |
| It | doesn’t | buzz | The bee doesn’t buzz at night. |
| The clock | doesn’t | tick | The clock doesn’t tick anymore. |
| He | doesn’t | rush | He doesn’t rush in the morning. |
| She | doesn’t | miss | She doesn’t miss the train. |
| It | doesn’t | shine | The sun doesn’t shine on rainy days. |
| The boy | doesn’t | kick | The boy doesn’t kick the wall. |
Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences ask a question. In the present simple tense, interrogative sentences with third-person singular subjects use “does” before the subject, followed by the base form of the verb (without ‘s’).
Here’s a table illustrating interrogative sentences with ‘s’ ending verbs:
| Auxiliary Verb | Subject | Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does | he | walk | Does he walk to work? |
| Does | she | eat | Does she eat breakfast? |
| Does | it | rain | Does it rain often here? |
| Does | the dog | bark | Does the dog bark at the mailman? |
| Does | my brother | play | Does your brother play any sports? |
| Does | the cat | sleep | Does the cat sleep all day? |
| Does | the sun | shine | Does the sun shine every day? |
| Does | she | read | Does she read a lot? |
| Does | he | write | Does he write poetry? |
| Does | it | smell | Does it smell like smoke? |
| Does | the bird | sing | Does the bird sing in the morning? |
| Does | my sister | dance | Does your sister dance ballet? |
| Does | he | cook | Does he cook well? |
| Does | she | clean | Does she clean the house? |
| Does | it | work | Does it work now? |
| Does | the car | run | Does the car run on electricity? |
| Does | he | teach | Does he teach math? |
| Does | she | study | Does she study hard? |
| Does | it | cost | Does it cost much to repair? |
| Does | the baby | cry | Does the baby cry often? |
| Does | he | fix | Does he fix computers? |
| Does | she | wash | Does she wash the clothes? |
| Does | it | buzz | Does it buzz loudly? |
| Does | the clock | tick | Does the clock tick loudly? |
| Does | he | rush | Does he rush to catch the bus? |
| Does | she | miss | Does she miss her hometown? |
| Does | it | shine | Does the sun shine through the clouds? |
| Does | the boy | kick | Does the boy kick the ball well? |
Usage Rules
The use of ‘s’ ending verbs is governed by specific rules, primarily related to subject-verb agreement and the present simple tense. Adhering to these rules ensures grammatical accuracy.
Third-Person Singular
The most important rule is that ‘s’ endings are used only with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it and singular nouns). For all other subjects (I, you, we, they, and plural nouns), the verb remains in its base form.
Present Simple Tense
The ‘s’ ending is primarily used in the present simple tense to describe habits, routines, general truths, or facts. It is not used in other tenses like the past simple, present continuous, or future simple.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are a few exceptions to the rule. Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) never take an ‘s’ ending, regardless of the subject. Also, in subjunctive mood constructions (which express wishes, suggestions, or commands), the verb does not take an ‘s’ ending, even with a third-person singular subject. For example: “I suggest that he be on time.” (not “is”)
Common Mistakes
One of the most frequent errors is forgetting to add the ‘s’ ending when using a third-person singular subject in the present simple tense. Another common mistake is adding an ‘s’ ending to verbs with subjects other than third-person singular.
Finally, learners sometimes incorrectly use the ‘s’ ending with modal verbs or in other tenses.
Here are some examples of common mistakes and their corrections:
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| He walk to school. | He walks to school. | Missing ‘s’ ending with a third-person singular subject. |
| They walks to school. | They walk to school. | Incorrect ‘s’ ending with a plural subject. |
| She can walks to school. | She can walk to school. | Incorrect ‘s’ ending with a modal verb. |
| The dog bark at strangers. | The dog barks at strangers. | Missing ‘s’ ending with a singular noun. |
| I eats breakfast. | I eat breakfast. | Incorrect ‘s’ ending with first person singular. |
| You reads books. | You read books. | Incorrect ‘s’ ending with second person singular. |
Practice Exercises
These exercises will help you practice using ‘s’ ending verbs correctly.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. He _______ (play) the piano. | 1. plays |
| 2. She _______ (eat) lunch at noon. | 2. eats |
| 3. It _______ (rain) a lot in April. | 3. rains |
| 4. The dog _______ (bark) at the mailman. | 4. barks |
| 5. My sister _______ (study) English. | 5. studies |
| 6. He _______ (go) to the gym every day. | 6. goes |
| 7. She _______ (watch) TV in the evening. | 7. watches |
| 8. It _______ (cost) a lot of money. | 8. costs |
| 9. The baby _______ (cry) at night. | 9. cries |
| 10. He _______ (fix) cars for a living. | 10. fixes |
Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. She walk to school. | 1. She walks to school. |
| 2. He can runs fast. | 2. He can run fast. |
| 3. It don’t rain in summer. | 3. It doesn’t rain in summer. |
| 4. The cat sleep on the bed. | 4. The cat sleeps on the bed. |
| 5. My brother play video games. | 5. My brother plays video games. |
| 6. She have a new car. | 6. She has a new car. |
| 7. He do not like coffee. | 7. He does not like coffee. |
| 8. The sun shine bright. | 8. The sun shines brightly. |
| 9. She study hard every day. | 9. She studies hard every day. |
| 10. It cost too much. | 10. It costs too much. |
Exercise 3: Sentence Construction
Create sentences using the given subjects and verbs in the present simple tense.
| Subject | Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| He | read | He reads a newspaper every morning. |
| She | write | She writes emails for work. |
| It | smell | It smells delicious in the kitchen. |
| The bird | sing | The bird sings beautifully in the garden. |
| My sister | dance | My sister dances at the local studio. |
| He | cook | He cooks dinner for his family. |
| She | clean | She cleans the house every Saturday. |
| It | work | It works perfectly after the repair. |
| The car | run | The car runs smoothly on the highway. |
| He | teach | He teaches history at the university. |
Advanced Topics
For advanced learners, understanding subject-verb agreement in more complex sentence structures is crucial. This includes dealing with compound subjects and intervening phrases.
Subject-Verb Agreement with Compound Subjects
When two or more subjects are joined by “and,” the verb usually takes the plural form. However, if the compound subject refers to a single entity or idea, the verb takes the singular form. For example: “Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich.” (single idea)
Here are some examples:
- John and Mary are going to the party. (plural)
- The bed and breakfast is located downtown. (single entity)
Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
Intervening phrases are phrases that come between the subject and the verb. These phrases do not affect the verb’s form. The verb must still agree with the actual subject of the sentence, not the noun closest to the verb within the intervening phrase. For example: “The box of chocolates is on the table.” (The subject is “box,” not “chocolates.”)
Here are some examples:
- The student, along with her classmates, is attending the conference.
- The team captain, as well as the other players, is excited about the game.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about ‘s’ ending verbs:
- When do I use the ‘s’ ending on a verb?
You use the ‘s’ ending on a verb in the present simple tense when the subject is a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, it) or a singular noun. - What happens if the subject is plural?
If the subject is plural (we, you, they, or a plural noun), you do not add an ‘s’ ending to the verb. The verb remains in its base form. - What if there is an auxiliary verb?
If there is an auxiliary verb like “does,” the main verb does not take an ‘s’ ending. The auxiliary verb “does” already indicates the third-person singular. - Are there any exceptions to this rule?
Yes, modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) never take an ‘s’ ending. Also, in subjunctive mood constructions, the verb does not take an ‘s’ ending, even with a third-person singular subject. - What about compound subjects joined by ‘and’?
When two or more subjects are joined by “and,” the verb usually takes the plural form. However, if the compound subject refers to a single entity or idea, the verb takes the singular form. - How do intervening phrases affect subject-verb agreement?
Intervening phrases do not affect the verb’s form. The verb must agree with the actual subject of the sentence, not the noun closest to the verb within the intervening phrase. - What if the verb ends in ‘y’?
If a verb ends in a consonant followed by ‘y’, change the ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’ (e.g., study becomes studies). If the verb ends in a vowel followed by ‘y’, simply add ‘s’ (e.g., play becomes plays). - What if the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o?
If a verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o, add ‘es’ to form the third-person singular (e.g., kiss becomes kisses, watch becomes watches, go becomes goes).
Conclusion
Mastering the use of ‘s’ ending verbs is a fundamental step towards achieving fluency and accuracy in English. By understanding the rules, recognizing common mistakes, and practicing regularly, you can confidently use these verbs in your writing and speaking.
Remember that the ‘s’ ending is primarily used in the present simple tense with third-person singular subjects, and that there are exceptions to this rule. With consistent effort and attention to detail, you can avoid confusion and improve your overall grammar skills.
Keep practicing with different exercises and real-life examples to reinforce your understanding. Pay attention to subject-verb agreement in various contexts, and don’t hesitate to review the rules whenever you encounter difficulties.
With dedication and practice, you’ll find that using ‘s’ ending verbs becomes second nature, allowing you to communicate more effectively and confidently in English.