Present Tense Verb Conjugation: He, She, It Forms

Mastering verb conjugation, particularly in the present tense with “he,” “she,” and “it,” is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct English sentences. These third-person singular forms often require special attention due to the addition of the “-s” or “-es” ending.

This article offers a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying these rules, ensuring clarity and accuracy in both written and spoken English. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this guide provides the knowledge and practice needed to confidently use present tense verb forms with “he,” “she,” and “it.”

This guide is designed to benefit English language learners of all levels, from beginners just starting to grasp basic sentence structure to advanced learners seeking to refine their grammar skills. Native English speakers who wish to solidify their understanding of grammar rules may also find this resource helpful.

By mastering the concepts outlined in this article, learners can improve their overall communication skills and avoid common grammatical errors.

Table of Contents

Definition of Present Tense Verb Conjugation

Verb conjugation is the process of changing the form of a verb to agree with the subject, tense, number, and mood. In the present tense, conjugation indicates an action that happens regularly, is currently happening, or expresses a general truth.

For third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), present tense verbs typically add an “-s” or “-es” ending. This distinguishes them from the base form of the verb used with other subjects (I, you, we, they).

Understanding this conjugation is crucial for forming grammatically correct sentences in English.

The present tense can be used to describe habits, routines, facts, and current states. For instance, “He eats breakfast every morning” describes a habit, while “She is a doctor” states a fact.

Proper conjugation ensures that the verb accurately reflects the subject performing the action or being described. The consistency of these forms helps make communication clear and understandable.

Structural Breakdown of He/She/It Forms

The basic structure for present tense verb conjugation with “he,” “she,” and “it” involves adding an “-s” or “-es” to the base form of the verb. The specific ending depends on the verb’s final letter(s).

For most regular verbs, simply adding “-s” is sufficient. However, verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, or -o require “-es.” Verbs ending in a consonant followed by “-y” change the “-y” to “-i” and add “-es.”

Let’s break down the structural elements. The subject “he,” “she,” or “it” is followed by the conjugated verb.

The conjugated verb is the base form of the verb plus either “-s” or “-es,” depending on the spelling rules. For example, “He walks” (base form + -s), “She watches” (base form + -es), and “It flies” (base form with -y changed to -i + -es).

This consistent structure helps ensure accurate and clear communication.

Types of Verbs and Conjugation Patterns

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are verbs that follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. In the present tense, the third-person singular form is created by simply adding “-s” to the base form of the verb.

Examples include “walk,” “talk,” and “eat.” Mastering regular verbs is foundational to understanding verb conjugation in general.

For example, with the verb “walk,” the third-person singular form is “walks.” Similarly, with the verb “talk,” the third-person singular form is “talks.” Regular verbs make up a large portion of English verbs, making their conjugation rules particularly important to learn.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow the standard conjugation patterns. Their present tense forms, especially in the third-person singular, must be memorized.

The most common irregular verb is “to be,” which has the third-person singular form “is.” Other examples include “have” (has) and “do” (does). Irregular verbs often have historical roots that explain their unique forms.

The verb “to be” is particularly irregular, with distinct forms for each subject pronoun: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are. The verb “to have” also changes to “has” for he/she/it.

Similarly, “to do” becomes “does.” Recognizing and memorizing these irregular forms is essential for accurate grammar.

Verbs Ending in -y

When a verb ends in a consonant followed by “-y,” the “-y” is changed to “-i” and “-es” is added. For example, “fly” becomes “flies,” and “cry” becomes “cries.” However, if the “-y” is preceded by a vowel, the standard rule of adding “-s” applies, such as “play” becoming “plays.” This rule helps maintain phonetic consistency in the language.

Consider the verb “study.” Since the “-y” is preceded by the consonant “d,” the third-person singular form is “studies.” In contrast, the verb “enjoy” has a vowel “o” before the “-y,” so the third-person singular form is “enjoys.” Understanding this distinction is key to correctly conjugating verbs ending in “-y.”

Verbs Ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o

Verbs ending in “-s,” “-sh,” “-ch,” “-x,” “-z,” or “-o” require the addition of “-es” in the third-person singular present tense. Examples include “kiss” (kisses), “wash” (washes), “watch” (watches), “fix” (fixes), “buzz” (buzzes), and “go” (goes).

This rule ensures that the pronunciation of these verbs remains clear and distinct.

For example, “He watches TV” sounds more natural than “He watchs TV,” because the “-es” ending adds a syllable that makes the word easier to pronounce. Similarly, “She goes to school” is grammatically correct because “goes” follows this rule.

Mastering this rule is crucial for avoiding pronunciation and spelling errors.

Examples of Verb Conjugation

The following tables provide extensive examples of verb conjugation in the present tense for “he,” “she,” and “it.” These examples are categorized by verb type to illustrate the different conjugation patterns discussed earlier. Reviewing these examples will help solidify your understanding of the rules and exceptions.

The first table focuses on regular verbs, showcasing how the simple addition of “-s” creates the third-person singular form. These examples provide a clear foundation for understanding the basic conjugation pattern.

The examples are varied to cover a wide range of common regular verbs.

Verb (Base Form) He/She/It Form Example Sentence
Walk Walks He walks to school every day.
Talk Talks She talks to her friends on the phone.
Eat Eats It eats its food quickly.
Sleep Sleeps He sleeps for eight hours a night.
Drink Drinks She drinks water after exercising.
Read Reads He reads a book before bed.
Write Writes She writes emails for work.
Play Plays It plays with its toys.
Work Works He works hard at his job.
Cook Cooks She cooks dinner for her family.
Clean Cleans He cleans his room every week.
Study Studies She studies English at university.
Listen Listens He listens to music while he works.
Watch Watches She watches movies on weekends.
Open Opens It opens the door automatically.
Close Closes He closes the window at night.
Jump Jumps It jumps over the fence.
Sing Sings She sings in the choir.
Dance Dances He dances at parties.
Laugh Laughs She laughs at funny jokes.
Smile Smiles He smiles when he is happy.
Dream Dreams She dreams of traveling the world.
Wish Wishes He wishes for a better future.
Hope Hopes She hopes to get a good grade.
Need Needs He needs to buy groceries.

The second table focuses on irregular verbs, which require memorization due to their unique forms. These examples are crucial for mastering the English language, as irregular verbs are commonly used in everyday conversation.

Pay close attention to the specific forms for each verb.

Verb (Base Form) He/She/It Form Example Sentence
Be Is He is a doctor.
Have Has She has a car.
Do Does It does its job well.
Say Says He says hello to everyone.
Go Goes She goes to the gym every day.
Come Comes He comes to the office early.
See Sees She sees the bird in the tree.
Know Knows He knows the answer to the question.
Get Gets She gets good grades in school.
Make Makes He makes delicious cookies.
Take Takes She takes the bus to work.
Give Gives He gives presents to his friends.
Find Finds She finds her keys on the table.
Tell Tells He tells stories to his children.
Become Becomes She becomes a successful businesswoman.
Think Thinks He thinks about the future.
Leave Leaves She leaves the house at 8 AM.
Feel Feels He feels happy today.
Put Puts She puts the book on the shelf.
Bring Brings He brings coffee to the office.
Begin Begins She begins her presentation.
Keep Keeps He keeps his promises.
Hold Holds She holds the baby carefully.
Write Writes He writes a letter to his friend.
Stand Stands She stands in the corner.

The third table presents verbs ending in “-y,” demonstrating the rule of changing “-y” to “-i” and adding “-es” when the “-y” is preceded by a consonant. It also shows examples where the “-y” is preceded by a vowel, in which case only “-s” is added.

Understanding this rule is essential to avoid common spelling errors.

Verb (Base Form) He/She/It Form Example Sentence
Fly Flies It flies high in the sky.
Cry Cries She cries when she is sad.
Study Studies He studies hard for his exams.
Carry Carries She carries her books to school.
Worry Worries He worries about his future.
Try Tries She tries her best in everything.
Apply Applies He applies for a new job.
Reply Replies She replies to the email quickly.
Play Plays He plays the piano beautifully.
Enjoy Enjoys She enjoys reading books.
Stay Stays He stays at home on weekends.
Pay Pays She pays her bills on time.
Say Says He says hello to everyone.
Lay Lays She lays the table for dinner.
Pray Prays He prays every night.
Obey Obeys She obeys her parents.
Destroy Destroys It destroys the old building.
Employ Employs He employs many people.
Convey Conveys She conveys her message clearly.
Betray Betrays He betrays his friends.
Display Displays She displays her artwork.
Delay Delays He delays the meeting.
Decay Decays It decays over time.
Allay Allays She allays his fears.
Annoy Annoys He annoys his sister.

The fourth table provides examples of verbs ending in “-s,” “-sh,” “-ch,” “-x,” “-z,” or “-o,” demonstrating the rule of adding “-es” in the third-person singular present tense. This table further reinforces the importance of recognizing specific verb endings and applying the correct conjugation rule.

These examples will help you avoid common conjugation errors.

Verb (Base Form) He/She/It Form Example Sentence
Kiss Kisses She kisses her child goodnight.
Wash Washes He washes his car on Sundays.
Watch Watches She watches TV in the evening.
Fix Fixes He fixes the broken chair.
Buzz Buzzes It buzzes around the flowers.
Go Goes She goes to the market every week.
Miss Misses He misses his family.
Push Pushes She pushes the cart in the store.
Reach Reaches He reaches for the top shelf.
Mix Mixes She mixes the ingredients together.
Fuzz Fuzzes It fuzzes the image.
Do Does He does his homework.
Dress Dresses She dresses elegantly.
Brush Brushes He brushes his teeth.
Teach Teaches She teaches English.
Tax Taxes It taxes the resources.
Quiz Quizzes He quizzes the students.
Echo Echoes It echoes in the valley.
Cross Crosses He crosses the street.
Crash Crashes It crashes the computer.
Catch Catches She catches the ball.
Box Boxes He boxes up the items.
Fiz Fizzes It fizzes in the glass.
Woo Woos He woos her with flowers.
Approach Approaches She approaches the building.

The fifth table provides a mix of different verb types, allowing you to practice identifying the correct conjugation pattern for each. This comprehensive practice will help you solidify your understanding and improve your accuracy in using present tense verb forms with “he,” “she,” and “it.”

Verb (Base Form) He/She/It Form Example Sentence
Think Thinks He thinks about the problem.
Wash Washes She washes the dishes.
Fly Flies It flies in the sky.
Have Has He has a car.
Go Goes She goes to work.
Study Studies It studies the stars.
Talk Talks He talks to his friends.
Buzz Buzzes She buzzes with excitement.
Cry Cries He cries when he is sad.
Do Does She does her best.
Eat Eats It eats its food.
Fix Fixes He fixes the computer.
Play Plays She plays the guitar.
Kiss Kisses He kisses his wife.
Try Tries She tries to improve.
Walk Walks It walks around the park.
Watch Watches He watches the game.
Worry Worries She worries about her health.
Say Says He says hello.
Enjoy Enjoys She enjoys the music.
Miss Misses He misses her.
Catch Catches She catches the bus.
Teach Teaches He teaches math.
Brush Brushes She brushes her hair.
Reach Reaches He reaches the top.

Usage Rules for He/She/It Forms

General Rules

The general rule for present tense verb conjugation with “he,” “she,” and “it” is to add “-s” to the base form of the verb. For verbs ending in “-s,” “-sh,” “-ch,” “-x,” “-z,” or “-o,” add “-es.” For verbs ending in a consonant followed by “-y,” change the “-y” to “-i” and add “-es.” These rules provide a solid foundation for correct verb conjugation.

Remember that these rules apply only to the third-person singular in the present tense. For all other subjects (I, you, we, they) and tenses, the base form of the verb is typically used.

Consistency in applying these rules is key to grammatical accuracy.

Exceptions to the Rules

There are some exceptions to the general rules. Irregular verbs, as mentioned earlier, do not follow the standard patterns and must be memorized.

Modal verbs (can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must) do not take the “-s” or “-es” ending in the third-person singular. Understanding these exceptions is crucial for avoiding errors.

For instance, “He can swim” is correct, not “He cans swim.” Similarly, “She must study” is correct, not “She musts study.” Pay close attention to these exceptions when constructing sentences with modal verbs or other irregular forms.

Special Cases

Some verbs have slightly different forms or usages in specific contexts. For example, the verb “to be” has the unique third-person singular form “is.” Additionally, certain verbs may have different meanings depending on their conjugation or the surrounding words.

Paying attention to context is essential for accurate interpretation and usage.

Consider the sentence “He is being difficult.” Here, “is being” is a form of the present continuous tense, indicating a temporary state. The verb “to be” is highly versatile, and its various forms and usages require careful attention to context to ensure accurate communication.

Common Mistakes with He/She/It Forms

One common mistake is forgetting to add the “-s” or “-es” ending to the verb when using “he,” “she,” or “it” in the present tense. Another mistake is incorrectly applying the rules for verbs ending in “-y.” Finally, confusing irregular verbs with regular verbs can also lead to errors.

Awareness of these common mistakes can help you avoid them.

Here are some examples of common mistakes and their corrections:

Incorrect Correct Explanation
He walk to school. He walks to school. Missing “-s” ending on the verb.
She watch TV. She watches TV. Missing “-es” ending on the verb.
It flys in the sky. It flies in the sky. Incorrect application of “-y” rule.
He have a car. He has a car. Incorrect form of the irregular verb “have.”
She can swims. She can swim. Modal verbs do not take “-s” ending.

Practice Exercises

These practice exercises will help you reinforce your understanding of present tense verb conjugation with “he,” “she,” and “it.” Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.

Question Answer
1. He ______ (walk) to school every day. walks
2. She ______ (eat) breakfast at 7 AM. eats
3. It ______ (rain) a lot in the spring. rains
4. He ______ (study) English at university. studies
5. She ______ (watch) movies on weekends. watches
6. It ______ (fly) high in the sky. flies
7. He ______ (have) a car. has
8. She ______ (go) to the gym. goes
9. It ______ (do) its job well. does
10. He ______ (play) the piano. plays

Exercise 2: Choose the correct form of the verb in each sentence.

Question Answer
1. She (talk/talks) to her friends on the phone. talks
2. He (sleep/sleeps) for eight hours a night. sleeps
3. It (drink/drinks) water after exercising. drinks
4. She (read/reads) a book before bed. reads
5. He (write/writes) emails for work. writes
6. It (play/plays) with its toys. plays
7. He (work/works) hard at his job. works
8. She (cook/cooks) dinner for her family. cooks
9. He (clean/cleans) his room every week. cleans
10. It (open/opens) the door automatically. opens

Exercise 3: Correct the errors in the following sentences.

Question Answer
1. He walk to the store. He walks to the store.
2. She watch the sunset. She watches the sunset.
3. It flys in the air. It flies in the air.
4. He have a new bike. He has a new bike.
5. She can runs fast. She can run fast.
6. It do its best. It does its best.
7. He study every night. He studies every night.
8. She enjoy the party. She enjoys the party.
9. It buzz around the flowers. It buzzes around the flowers.
10. He try his best. He tries his best.

Advanced Topics in Present Tense Conjugation

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs describe states, feelings, or conditions rather than actions. They are generally not used in the continuous tenses.

Examples include “know,” “believe,” “love,” and “hate.” Understanding stative verbs is important for avoiding grammatical errors in more complex sentences.

For example, it is generally incorrect to say “He is knowing the answer.” Instead, the correct form is “He knows the answer.” However, some stative verbs can be used in continuous tenses with a different meaning. For example, “He is being difficult” uses “being” to describe a temporary behavior.

Emphatic Present Tense

The emphatic present tense uses “do” or “does” to add emphasis to a statement. It is formed by adding “do” or “does” before the base form of the verb.

This form is used to express surprise, disagreement, or to strongly affirm something. The emphatic present tense adds a layer of expressiveness to your communication.

For example, “I do understand” is more emphatic than “I understand.” Similarly, “He does care about his work” emphasizes his concern. This form is often used in spoken English to convey strong feelings or to correct a misunderstanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about present tense verb conjugation with “he,” “she,” and “it.” These questions address common points of confusion and provide detailed explanations to clarify the concepts.

  1. Why do we need to add “-s” or “-es” to verbs with “he,” “she,” and “it”?

    Adding “-s” or “-es” to verbs with “he,” “she,” and “it” is a grammatical convention in English to indicate the third-person singular present tense. This helps distinguish the verb form from other subjects (I, you, we, they) and maintains grammatical consistency.

  2. What if a verb ends in a consonant followed by “-y”?

    If a verb ends in a consonant followed by “-y,” you change the “-y” to “-i” and add “-es.” For example, “cry” becomes “cries,” and “study” becomes “studies.”

  3. What if a verb already ends in “-s”?

    If a verb already ends in “-s,” you still need to add “-es” to form the third-person singular present tense. For example, “kiss” becomes “kisses,” and “miss” becomes “misses.” This ensures correct pronunciation and grammatical structure.

  4. How do I remember all these rules?

    The best way to remember these rules is through practice and repetition. Try completing exercises, writing sentences, and paying attention to how native speakers use verbs in their speech and writing. Over time, these rules will become more natural and intuitive.

  5. Are there any resources for further practice?

    Yes, there are many online resources, grammar books, and language learning apps that offer additional practice exercises and explanations. Look for resources that focus specifically on English verb conjugation and grammar rules. Consistent practice is key to mastering these concepts.

Conclusion

Mastering present tense verb conjugation with “he,” “she,” and “it” is a crucial step in achieving fluency and accuracy in English. By understanding the rules, exceptions, and common mistakes, you can significantly improve your grammar skills and communicate more effectively.

Consistent practice and attention to detail will help solidify your understanding and build your confidence in using these verb forms correctly. Remember to review the examples and exercises provided in this guide, and continue to seek opportunities to practice and improve your skills.

With dedication and effort, you can master the art of present tense verb conjugation and enhance your overall command of the English language.

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