Present Simple: Third person singular (he/she/it) - adding -s/-es

In English, we group people into three "persons." The first person is I or we. The second person is you. The third person is everyone else: he, she, it, or they. This rule only cares about the singular third person. That means just one person or one thing. We are talking about he (a man), she (a woman), or it (an object or animal). When these three subjects perform an action in the present, the verb needs a tail. This tail is usually the letter s. Imagine you are at a party. You see your friend Sarah. You want to tell someone about her habits. You don't say "Sarah like pizza." You say "Sarah likes pizza." The s at the end of likes is the signal. It tells the listener you are talking about one specific person who isn't you or the person you are talking to. It is a way of keeping track of the "star" of your sentence. If the star is a single person or thing, the verb gets the s treatment. It is a very consistent rule, which is rare in English! Once you master this, you have mastered a huge part of everyday conversation.

1. 1Building this grammar is like following a simple recipe. There are three main ways to add the "tail" to your verb.
2. 2The Standard Rule: For most verbs, just add s to the base form.
3. 3work becomes works.
4. 4play becomes plays.
5. 5eat becomes eats.
6. 6The "Hissing" Rule: If a verb ends in a sound like a hiss or a buzz, add es. This makes it easier to pronounce. These are verbs ending in ch, sh, s, x, or z. We also include o in this group.
7. 7watch becomes watches.
8. 8wash becomes washes.
9. 9fix becomes fixes.
10. 10go becomes goes.
11. 11do becomes does.
12. 12The "Y" Rule: Look at the letter before the y. If it is a consonant (like r, l, or t), change y to ies.
13. 13fly becomes flies.
14. 14study becomes studies.
15. 15try becomes tries.
16. 16The Rebel: There is one major irregular verb you need to know. It doesn't follow the rules.
17. 17have becomes has.

We use this pattern for things that are generally true or happen regularly.

• Daily Habits: Talk about what your roommate does. "He wakes up at 7 AM." "She drinks green tea."
• Permanent Facts: Talk about how the world works. "The earth circles the sun." "Water freezes at zero degrees."
• Schedules: Talk about trains, buses, or movies. "The film starts in ten minutes." "The bus stops here."
• Job Interviews: When describing a former boss or a company. "My manager leads the team well." "The company produces software."
• Ordering Food: When you tell the waiter what your friend wants. "He wants the steak, please." "She prefers no onions."
• Giving Directions: When talking about where a landmark sits. "The museum opens at nine." "The road leads to the park."

This tense is the "bread and butter" of English. It describes the world as it is right now and as it usually is.

There are a few times when you must leave the verb alone.

• Other Subjects: Never use the s for I, you, we, or they. "I works" sounds very strange to an English ear!
• Questions: When you ask a question with does, the s moves to the helper. "Does he work?" (Not "Does he works?"). The does already has the es, so the main verb can relax.
• Negatives: When you say doesn't, the main verb stays in its base form. "She doesn't like apples."
• Can and Must: Words like can, should, and must are "modals." They never take an s. "He can swim" (Not "He cans swim").
• The Future: If you are talking about right now (Continuous), don't use this. "He is running" is different from "He runs."

Think of the s as a hat. A person only needs one hat. If does or doesn't is wearing the hat, the main verb doesn't need one!

The most common mistake is simply forgetting the s. You might say "He live in London." Your meaning is clear, but it sounds unfinished. It is like wearing a suit but forgetting your shoes. Another mistake is adding s to everything. Some people say "They likes it." Remember, they is plural. It doesn't get the s. Spelling is another trap. People often write studys instead of studies. Remember the "Y" rule! Pronunciation can be tricky too. Sometimes the s sounds like an /s/ (as in cats), sometimes like a /z/ (as in dogs), and sometimes like an /iz/ (as in buses). Don't stress too much about this yet. Just making the sound is 90% of the battle. Finally, don't put an s on the verb if you are using can. "She can sings" is a very common error. Keep it simple: "She can sing."

This is where it gets confusing for many people. In English, we use s for two very different things.

1. 1Plural Nouns: We add s to nouns to show there is more than one. "One apple, two apples."
2. 2Singular Verbs: We add s to verbs to show there is only one person doing it. "He eats."

It is a total flip-flop!

• Noun + s = Many things.
• Verb + s = One person (he/she/it).

Think of it this way: The s has to go somewhere. If the subject doesn't have an s (like he), the verb usually takes it. If the subject already has an s (like the boys), the verb stays empty: "The boys play." Also, compare this to the Present Continuous (is walking). The Present Simple (walks) is for things that happen all the time. The Continuous is for things happening right this second.