The Truth About Verbs Ending in ‘S’: Explained Simply

Understanding verbs that end in ‘s’ is crucial for mastering English grammar, especially when forming grammatically correct sentences. This seemingly simple ‘s’ carries significant weight, indicating tense, subject-verb agreement, and even subtle nuances in meaning.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to verbs ending in ‘s’, clarifying their function, usage, and common pitfalls. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and practice needed to confidently use these verbs.

This article is designed for ESL/EFL students, native English speakers seeking to refine their grammar, and anyone interested in a deeper understanding of English verb conjugation. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to identify, understand, and correctly use verbs ending in ‘s’ in various contexts, enhancing your overall communication skills.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition: Verbs Ending in ‘S’
3. Function of Verbs Ending in ‘S’
4. Present Simple Tense
5. Third-Person Singular
6. Structural Breakdown
7. Affirmative Sentences
8. Negative Sentences
9. Interrogative Sentences
10. Categories of Verbs Ending in ‘S’
11. Regular Verbs
12. Irregular Verbs
13. Examples of Verbs Ending in ‘S’
14. Affirmative Sentence Examples
15. Negative Sentence Examples
16. Interrogative Sentence Examples
17. Usage Rules
18. Subject-Verb Agreement
19. Time Markers
20. Exceptions to the Rule
21. Common Mistakes
22. Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
23. Confusing Tense
24. Practice Exercises
25. Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
26. Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
27. Advanced Topics
28. Emphatic ‘Do’
29. Subjunctive Mood
30. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
31. Conclusion

Definition: Verbs Ending in ‘S’

A verb ending in ‘s’ typically indicates the third-person singular form of a verb in the present simple tense. This grammatical form is used to describe actions, habits, or states that occur regularly or are generally true. Understanding this concept is fundamental for constructing grammatically sound sentences in English.

For instance, in the sentence “He eats breakfast every morning,” the verb “eats” ends in ‘s’ because the subject “He” is a third-person singular pronoun. This contrasts with other forms such as “I eat,” “You eat,” “We eat,” and “They eat,” where the verb does not take an ‘s’ ending. The addition of ‘s’ is a key marker of the present simple tense when used with third-person singular subjects.

Function of Verbs Ending in ‘S’

The primary function of a verb ending in ‘s’ is to denote the present simple tense when the subject is a third-person singular noun or pronoun (he, she, it, or any singular noun that can be replaced by these pronouns). This grammatical structure helps convey habitual actions, general truths, fixed arrangements, and scheduled events.

Consider the following functions in more detail:

• Habitual Actions: Describing routines or repeated actions. Example: “She drinks coffee every morning.”
• General Truths: Stating facts or universally accepted ideas. Example: “The sun rises in the east.”
• Fixed Arrangements: Indicating scheduled events or appointments. Example: “The train leaves at 10 AM.”
• States: Describing conditions or feelings. Example: “He feels tired after work.”

Present Simple Tense

The present simple tense is used to describe actions or states that occur regularly, habitually, or are generally true. It is one of the most basic verb tenses in English and is essential for everyday communication.

Verbs ending in ‘s’ are a specific marker of this tense when used with third-person singular subjects.

For example, “She reads a book every night” indicates a regular habit. “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius” states a general truth. These sentences illustrate how the present simple tense, marked by the ‘s’ ending on the verb, conveys timeless or recurring actions and facts.

Third-Person Singular

In grammar, the third-person singular refers to the form of a verb used when the subject is ‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘it,’ or any singular noun that can be replaced by these pronouns. This is where the ‘s’ ending becomes crucial.

Without the ‘s’, the sentence would be grammatically incorrect in the present simple tense.

Consider these examples:

• He plays the guitar.
• She writes poetry.
• It rains frequently in Seattle.
• The dog barks loudly.

Each of these sentences uses a third-person singular subject, requiring the verb to end in ‘s’ to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Structural Breakdown

Understanding the structure of sentences with verbs ending in ‘s’ is key to using them correctly. The basic structure varies depending on whether the sentence is affirmative, negative, or interrogative (a question).

Affirmative Sentences

Affirmative sentences state a fact or assertion. The structure is typically:

Subject (He/She/It/Singular Noun) + Verb (with ‘s’) + Object/Complement

Examples:

• He works at a bank.
• She studies medicine.
• It snows in winter.
• The bird sings beautifully.

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences express the opposite of a fact or assertion. They require the auxiliary verb “does” along with “not.” The structure is:

Subject (He/She/It/Singular Noun) + Does + Not + Base Form of Verb

Note that the ‘s’ is removed from the main verb and incorporated into the auxiliary verb “does.”

Examples:

• He does not work at a bank.
• She does not study medicine.
• It does not snow in summer.
• The bird does not sing loudly.

Contractions are common: “He doesn’t work at a bank.” “She doesn’t study medicine.”

Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences ask a question. They also require the auxiliary verb “does.” The structure is:

Does + Subject (He/She/It/Singular Noun) + Base Form of Verb + Object/Complement?

Again, the ‘s’ is removed from the main verb and incorporated into the auxiliary verb “does.”

Examples:

• Does he work at a bank?
• Does she study medicine?
• Does it snow in winter?
• Does the bird sing loudly?

Categories of Verbs Ending in ‘S’

Verbs ending in ‘s’ can be categorized into two main types: regular and irregular. Understanding these categories helps in predicting how verbs will conjugate in different tenses.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern for forming the past tense and past participle, typically by adding ‘-ed’. In the present simple tense, they simply add ‘-s’ to the base form for the third-person singular.

Examples:

• Work: He works
• Play: She plays
• Walk: It walks (e.g., a robot)
• Talk: He talks

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow the standard ‘-ed’ rule for forming the past tense and past participle. Their forms are often unpredictable and must be memorized.

Even in the present simple, some irregular verbs have unique forms.

The most common irregular verb is “to be.” In the present simple, its third-person singular form is “is.”

Examples:

• Be: He is
• Have: She has
• Do: He does

Examples of Verbs Ending in ‘S’

To solidify your understanding, let’s explore a range of examples in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

Affirmative Sentence Examples

The following table provides examples of affirmative sentences using verbs ending in ‘s’. Each example demonstrates the correct usage of the third-person singular form in the present simple tense.

Subject	Verb (with ‘s’)	Object/Complement	Example Sentence
He	eats	breakfast	He eats breakfast every morning.
She	reads	novels	She reads novels in her free time.
It	rains	often	It rains often in this region.
The dog	barks	loudly	The dog barks loudly at strangers.
The sun	shines	brightly	The sun shines brightly during the day.
My mother	cooks	delicious meals	My mother cooks delicious meals for us.
The train	arrives	on time	The train arrives on time every day.
The baby	sleeps	soundly	The baby sleeps soundly through the night.
The teacher	teaches	English	The teacher teaches English to foreign students.
The cat	chases	mice	The cat chases mice in the garden.
He	drinks	coffee	He drinks coffee to stay awake.
She	writes	poetry	She writes poetry in her journal.
It	snows	in December	It snows in December in this area.
The bird	sings	sweetly	The bird sings sweetly in the morning.
The car	runs	smoothly	The car runs smoothly after the repair.
My father	works	hard	My father works hard to support our family.
The clock	ticks	quietly	The clock ticks quietly in the living room.
The computer	works	well	The computer works well since the upgrade.
The plant	grows	quickly	The plant grows quickly with enough sunlight.
The student	studies	diligently	The student studies diligently for the exam.
He	listens	to music	He listens to music while he works.
She	watches	movies	She watches movies on the weekends.
It	smells	good	It smells good in the kitchen.
The child	plays	outside	The child plays outside every afternoon.

Negative Sentence Examples

The following table provides examples of negative sentences using verbs ending in ‘s’ (or rather, using “does not” with the base form of the verb). Each example demonstrates the correct usage of the third-person singular form in the present simple tense.

Subject	Auxiliary Verb	Negative	Base Form of Verb	Object/Complement	Example Sentence
He	does	not	eat	breakfast	He does not eat breakfast every morning.
She	does	not	read	novels	She does not read novels in her free time.
It	does	not	rain	often	It does not rain often in this region.
The dog	does	not	bark	loudly	The dog does not bark loudly at strangers.
The sun	does	not	shine	at night	The sun does not shine at night.
My mother	does	not	cook	every day	My mother does not cook every day.
The train	does	not	arrive	late	The train does not arrive late.
The baby	does	not	sleep	early	The baby does not sleep early.
The teacher	does	not	teach	math	The teacher does not teach math.
The cat	does	not	chase	birds	The cat does not chase birds.
He	does	not	drink	tea	He does not drink tea.
She	does	not	write	emails	She does not write emails.
It	does	not	snow	in July	It does not snow in July.
The bird	does	not	sing	at night	The bird does not sing at night.
The car	does	not	run	quietly	The car does not run quietly.
My father	does	not	work	on weekends	My father does not work on weekends.
The clock	does	not	tick	loudly	The clock does not tick loudly.
The computer	does	not	work	properly	The computer does not work properly.
The plant	does	not	grow	in winter	The plant does not grow in winter.
The student	does	not	study	enough	The student does not study enough.
He	does	not	listen	to the radio	He does not listen to the radio.
She	does	not	watch	TV	She does not watch TV.
It	does	not	smell	bad	It does not smell bad.
The child	does	not	play	inside	The child does not play inside.

Interrogative Sentence Examples

The following table provides examples of interrogative sentences using verbs ending in ‘s’ (again, “does” with the base form of the verb is used). Each example demonstrates the correct usage of the third-person singular form in the present simple tense.

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Base Form of Verb	Object/Complement	Example Sentence
Does	he	eat	breakfast?	Does he eat breakfast every morning?
Does	she	read	novels?	Does she read novels in her free time?
Does	it	rain	often?	Does it rain often in this region?
Does	the dog	bark	loudly?	Does the dog bark loudly at strangers?
Does	the sun	shine	brightly?	Does the sun shine brightly during the day?
Does	my mother	cook	delicious meals?	Does my mother cook delicious meals for us?
Does	the train	arrive	on time?	Does the train arrive on time every day?
Does	the baby	sleep	soundly?	Does the baby sleep soundly through the night?
Does	the teacher	teach	English?	Does the teacher teach English to foreign students?
Does	the cat	chase	mice?	Does the cat chase mice in the garden?
Does	he	drink	coffee?	Does he drink coffee to stay awake?
Does	she	write	poetry?	Does she write poetry in her journal?
Does	it	snow	in December?	Does it snow in December in this area?
Does	the bird	sing	sweetly?	Does the bird sing sweetly in the morning?
Does	the car	run	smoothly?	Does the car run smoothly after the repair?
Does	my father	work	hard?	Does my father work hard to support our family?
Does	the clock	tick	quietly?	Does the clock tick quietly in the living room?
Does	the computer	work	well?	Does the computer work well since the upgrade?
Does	the plant	grow	quickly?	Does the plant grow quickly with enough sunlight?
Does	the student	study	diligently?	Does the student study diligently for the exam?
Does	he	listen	to music?	Does he listen to music while he works?
Does	she	watch	movies?	Does she watch movies on the weekends?
Does	it	smell	good?	Does it smell good in the kitchen?
Does	the child	play	outside?	Does the child play outside every afternoon?

Usage Rules

Mastering the usage of verbs ending in ‘s’ requires understanding the rules governing subject-verb agreement, recognizing common time markers, and being aware of exceptions.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is the most fundamental rule. The verb must agree in number with its subject.

This means that a singular subject takes a singular verb (with ‘s’ in the present simple), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (without ‘s’).

Examples:

• Correct: He plays tennis.
• Incorrect: He play tennis.
• Correct: They play tennis.
• Incorrect: They plays tennis.

Time Markers

Certain time markers often indicate the use of the present simple tense, and therefore, verbs ending in ‘s’ with third-person singular subjects. These include adverbs of frequency such as:

• Always
• Usually
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Every day/week/month/year

Examples:

• He always drinks coffee in the morning.
• She usually goes to the gym after work.
• It sometimes rains on weekends.

Exceptions to the Rule

While the general rule is straightforward, there are some exceptions to be aware of:

• Modal Verbs: Modal verbs (can, could, should, would, may, might, must) do not add ‘s’ in the third-person singular. Example: He can swim (not “He cans swim”).
• Subjunctive Mood: In the subjunctive mood, the base form of the verb is used, regardless of the subject. This is less common in modern English but appears in formal contexts. Example: It is essential that he be present (not “is”).

Common Mistakes

Even experienced learners sometimes make mistakes with verbs ending in ‘s’. Recognizing these common errors can help you avoid them.

Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement

One of the most frequent errors is failing to ensure subject-verb agreement. This happens when the verb does not match the number of the subject.

Examples:

• Incorrect: He play the guitar.
• Correct: He plays the guitar.
• Incorrect: The students studies hard.
• Correct: The students study hard.

Confusing Tense

Another common mistake is using the present simple tense incorrectly, especially when describing actions that are not habitual or generally true.

Examples:

• Incorrect: He eats dinner now. (This should be “He is eating dinner now” – present continuous)
• Correct: He eats dinner at 7 PM every night.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with these practice exercises. Each exercise focuses on different aspects of using verbs ending in ‘s’.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Use the present simple tense.

Question	Answer
He _______ (work) at a hospital.	He works at a hospital.
She _______ (live) in New York.	She lives in New York.
It _______ (rain) a lot here.	It rains a lot here.
The cat _______ (sleep) all day.	The cat sleeps all day.
The sun _______ (rise) in the east.	The sun rises in the east.
My brother _______ (play) the piano.	My brother plays the piano.
The bird _______ (fly) south for the winter.	The bird flies south for the winter.
The dog _______ (bark) at strangers.	The dog barks at strangers.
She _______ (study) English every day.	She studies English every day.
He _______ (watch) TV in the evening.	He watches TV in the evening.

Exercise 2: Correct the Errors

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences. Each sentence contains one error related to verbs ending in ‘s’.

Incorrect Sentence	Correct Sentence
She eat breakfast every morning.	She eats breakfast every morning.
He don’t like coffee.	He doesn’t like coffee.
It snows usually in winter.	It usually snows in winter.
The dog bark loudly.	The dog barks loudly.
The sun rise in the east.	The sun rises in the east.
My mother cook delicious meals.	My mother cooks delicious meals.
The train not arrive on time.	The train does not arrive on time.
The baby not sleeps well.	The baby does not sleep well.
The teacher teach math.	The teacher teaches math.
He listen to music.	He listens to music.

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, exploring more nuanced aspects of verbs ending in ‘s’ can further refine your understanding.

Emphatic ‘Do’

The auxiliary verb “do” (or “does” in the third-person singular) can be used for emphasis in affirmative sentences. This is less common but can add force to a statement.

Examples:

• He does like coffee (emphasizing that he really likes coffee).
• She does study hard (emphasizing her dedication to studying).

Subjunctive Mood

As mentioned earlier, the subjunctive mood uses the base form of the verb, even in the third-person singular. This is typically found in formal or literary contexts and expresses a wish, suggestion, or necessity.

Examples:

• It is essential that he be present at the meeting.
• I suggest that she take a break.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about verbs ending in ‘s’.

1. Why do verbs end in ‘s’ in the present simple tense?

   Verbs end in ‘s’ in the present simple tense to indicate the third-person singular form. This is a grammatical convention to show agreement between the subject and the verb. The ‘s’ helps distinguish the third-person singular from other forms where the verb remains in its base form (e.g., I eat, you eat, we eat, they eat).

2. When should I use “does” instead of “do” in questions?

   “Does” is used as an auxiliary verb in questions when the subject is a third-person singular noun or pronoun (he, she, it). “Do” is used with all other subjects (I, you, we, they). For example, “Does she like ice cream?” vs. “Do you like ice cream?”

3. What happens to the ‘s’ when I use a negative sentence?

   In negative sentences, the ‘s’ is incorporated into the auxiliary verb “does,” which becomes “does not” or “doesn’t.” The main verb then reverts to its base form. For example, “He does not eat meat” or “He doesn’t eat meat.”

4. Are there any irregular verbs that don’t follow the ‘s’ rule?

   The verb “to be” is the most common irregular verb. Its third-person singular form in the present simple is “is,” not “bes.” Additionally, modal verbs (can, could, should, would, may, might, must) never take an ‘s’ ending, regardless of the subject.

5. How can I improve my subject-verb agreement skills?

   Practice is key. Start by identifying the subject and verb in sentences, and ensure they agree in number. Pay attention to tricky subjects like collective nouns (e.g., “the team”) and indefinite pronouns (e.g., “everyone”). Regularly review grammar rules and do exercises to reinforce your understanding.

6. What’s the difference between present simple and present continuous?

   The present simple describes habitual actions, general truths, and scheduled events, while the present continuous describes actions happening right now or around now. The present simple uses verbs ending in ‘s’ for third-person singular subjects, while the present continuous uses “is/am/are” + the verb ending in “-ing.” For example, “He eats breakfast every day” (present simple) vs. “He is eating breakfast now” (present continuous).

7. Can I use the present simple to talk about the future?

   Yes, the present simple can be used to talk about the future when referring to scheduled events or fixed arrangements.

   For example, “The train leaves at 6 PM tomorrow.”

Conclusion

Mastering verbs ending in ‘s’ is a cornerstone of English grammar. By understanding the rules of subject-verb agreement, recognizing time markers, and being aware of exceptions, you can confidently construct grammatically correct sentences in the present simple tense.

Practice regularly, pay attention to common mistakes, and continue to explore advanced topics to further refine your skills. With consistent effort, you’ll be able to use verbs ending in ‘s’ accurately and effectively, enhancing your overall communication abilities in English.