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Verbs ending with "s", "ch", "sh", "x" or "z"
When a verb ends with s, ch, sh, x or z, we add the letter e, and then we add the letter s.
In the following examples the part before the letter s is in purple and the letters es are in red.
miss => miss + es => misses kiss => kiss + es => kisses watch => watch + es => watches teach => teach + es => teaches wash => wash + es => washes push => push + es => pushes mix => mix + es => mixes fix => fix + es => fixes buzz => buzz + es => buzzes
In the following examples the part before the letter s is in purple and the letters es are in red.
| miss | => | miss + es | => | misses |
| kiss | => | kiss + es | => | kisses |
| watch | => | watch + es | => | watches |
| teach | => | teach + es | => | teaches |
| wash | => | wash + es | => | washes |
| push | => | push + es | => | pushes |
| mix | => | mix + es | => | mixes |
| fix | => | fix + es | => | fixes |
| buzz | => | buzz + es | => | buzzes |
Verbs ending with "o"
When a verb ends with o, we add the letter e, and then we add the letter s.
In the following examples the letter o is in purple and the letters es are in red.
go => go + es => goes do => do + es => does
In the following examples the letter o is in purple and the letters es are in red.
| go | => | go + es | => | goes |
| do | => | do + es | => | does |
Verbs ending with "y"
When a verb ends with y and there is a consonant before it, the y changes into ie. Then the letter s is added.
In the following examples the consonant is in blue, the part before the letter s is in green, and the letter s is in red.
fly => flie + s => flies try => trie + s => tries cry => crie + s => cries study => studie + s => studies
When a verb ends with y, and there is a vowel before it, we simply add the letter s to the verb.
In the following examples the vowel is in orange, the part before the letter sis in green, and the letter s is in red.
buy => buy + s => buys say => say + s => says pay => pay + s => pays play => play + s => plays enjoy => enjoy + s => enjoys
So these were the spelling rules for adding "s" in the Simple Present.Got it? Good! Let's practice it…
For spelling rules on other subject visit the Spelling Rules page.
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Spelling the - S Form
English verbs have five basic forms: the base form, the - S form,
the - ing form, the past form, and the past participle form.
The - S form is very commonly used for main verbs and auxiliary
verbs in the simple present tense when the subject is or means
he, she, or it. The - S form is also very commonly used as a full
(has) or contracted ('s) auxiliary verb in the present perfect tense
when the subject is or means he, she, or it.
For be, the - S form is is. For have, it is has. For other verbs,
there are three different spellings: - s, - es, and - ies:
1. Add - s to the base form.
This is the most common spelling for the -S form and
is the spelling used for most verbs.
Notice, especially, that - s is added when the base form
ends in one or more consonants + e:
aches, bakes, breathes, cares, caches, dives,
edges, fiddles, files, glares, hates, hopes, jokes,
lives, makes, notes, pastes, races, spares, surprises,
tastes, types, writes
Notice that - s is also added when the base form ends
in one or more consonants (but without e):
adds, bets, beats, calls, claps, cheats, cleans, digs,
drops, eats, fills, finds, fits, gets, grabs, hops, kills,
knits, links, lists, means, needs, opens, puts, quits,
robs, rings, rips, sends, stops, tells, trusts, voids,
wants, works, zips
In addition, notice this spelling is used with the small
number of verbs ending in two vowels (including - ie):
agrees, argues, boos, coos, flees, glues, moos,
sees, shoos, shoes, tees, woos
dies, lies, ties, vies
2. Add - es to the base form.
This happens in two situations:
a. when the base form ends in the vowel o:
does, goes, soloes
b. when the base form ends in ss, sh,
(t)ch, zz, and x:
assesses, blesses, caresses, fusses,
kisses, misses, passes, tosses;
blushes, dashes, flashes, gnashes,
hushes, lashes, mashes, pushes, rushes,
splashes, stashes, washes, wishes;
catches, ditches, etches, flinches,
hitches, itches, marches, mooches,
patches, reaches, searches,
scratches, teaches, touches, watches;
buzzes, fizzes;
boxes, coaxes, faxes, fixes,
relaxes, vexes, waxes.
3. Change y to i and add - es.
This happens when a verb ends in a consonant + y:
apply / applies; bury / buries;
carry / carries; copy / copies; cry / cries;
dry / dries; fly / flies; fry / fries;
hurry / hurries; marry / marries; pity / pities;
ply / plies; pry / pries; tidy / tidies; try / tries;
worry / worries.
Verbs that end in a vowel + y do not change the y
to i and then add - es, however:
buy / buys; employs / employs; enjoy / enjoys;
flay / flays; lay / lays; pay / pays; play / plays;
say / says; slay / slays; spray / sprays; stay / stays;
sway / sways;
Important:
Compare flay / flays, play / plays, and pray / prays
with fly / flies, ply / plies, and pry / pries to see
how these spelling rules work for verbs ending in s.
source:
In the following examples the consonant is in blue, the part before the letter s is in green, and the letter s is in red.
| fly | => | flie + s | => | flies |
| try | => | trie + s | => | tries |
| cry | => | crie + s | => | cries |
| study | => | studie + s | => | studies |
When a verb ends with y, and there is a vowel before it, we simply add the letter s to the verb.
In the following examples the vowel is in orange, the part before the letter sis in green, and the letter s is in red.
| buy | => | buy + s | => | buys |
| say | => | say + s | => | says |
| pay | => | pay + s | => | pays |
| play | => | play + s | => | plays |
| enjoy | => | enjoy + s | => | enjoys |
So these were the spelling rules for adding "s" in the Simple Present.
Got it? Good! Let's practice it…
For spelling rules on other subject visit the Spelling Rules page.
source:
English verbs have five basic forms: the base form, the - S form, The - S form is very commonly used for main verbs and auxiliary For be, the - S form is is. For have, it is has. For other verbs,
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Next activities 
Grammar Rules:
See our notes about the Simple Present Tense in English.
Pronunciation Rules:
You might be interested in the Pronunciation of -S at the end of words in English.
Grammar Rules: Pronunciation Rules: |
