The Simple Present of any verb other than the verb
to be is formed from the
bare infinitive of the verb. As shown in the following examples, the bare infinitive of a verb consists of the infinitive without the word
to. The bare infinitive is the form in which English verbs are usually listed in dictionaries. For example:
Infinitive | Bare Infinitive |
to be | be |
to walk | walk |
to work | work |
In the Simple Present of verbs other than the verb
to be, the form of the verb used with the subjects
I ,
you,
we and
they is the same as the bare infinitive. The form of the verb used with the subjects
he,
she and
it has the ending
s added to the bare infinitive.
For example, the Simple Present of the verb
to work is conjugated as follows:
I work |
you work |
he works |
she works |
it works |
we work |
they work |
The form of the verb used with the subjects
he,
she and
it is generally referred to as the
third person singulara. The simple present of the verb To HaveThe Simple Present of the verb
to have is slightly irregular, since the bare infinitive is
have, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular is
has. The Simple Present of the verb
to have is conjugated as follows:
I have |
you have |
he has |
she has |
it has |
we have |
they have |
2. Spelling rules for adding s in the third person singularSome verbs change their spelling when
s is added in the third person singular.
a. Verbs ending in yThe English letters
a,
e,
i,
o and
u are generally referred to as
vowels. The other English letters are generally referred to as
consonants.
When a verb ends in
y immediately preceded by a
consonant, the
y is changed to
ie before the ending
s is added. In each of the following examples, the consonant immediately preceding the final
y is underlined.
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
study | studies |
fly | flies |
carry | carries |
However, when a verb ends in
y immediately preceded by a
vowel, the
y is
not changed before the ending
s is added. In each of the following examples, the vowel immediately preceding the final
y is underlined.
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
say | says |
enjoy | enjoys |
buy | buys |
b. Verbs ending in oWhen a verb ends in
o, the letter
e is added before the
s ending. For example:
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
do | does |
echo | echoes |
go | goes |
c. Verbs ending in ch, s, sh, x or zWhen a verb ends in a sibilant sound such as
ch,
s,
sh,
x or
z, the letter
e is added before the
s ending. For example:
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
pass | passes |
push | pushes |
watch | watches |
fix | fixes |
buzz | buzzes |
3. Pronunciation of the es endingA syllable is a unit of pronunciation, usually consisting of a vowel sound which may or may not be accompanied by consonants.
When a verb ends in a sibilant sound such as
ch,
s,
sh,
x or
z, the
es ending of the third person singular is pronounced as a separate syllable. The reason for this is that these sounds are so similar to the sound of the
es ending, that the ending must be pronounced as a separate syllable in order to be heard clearly.
In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists of two syllables.
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
pass | passes |
push | pushes |
catch | catches |
mix | mixes |
Similarly, when
s is added to verbs ending in
ce,
ge,
se or
ze, the final
es is usually pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists
of two syllables.
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
race | races |
rage | rages |
praise | praises |
doze | dozes |
However, when
s is added to a verb ending in
e preceded by a letter
other than
c,
g,
s or
z, the final
es is
not pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples, both the bare infinitive and the form of the verb used in the third person singular consist of one syllable.
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
make | makes |
smile | smiles |
dine | dines |
save | saves |