Third Person Singular - Add S ES IES to verbs

Third Person Singular – Add S ES IES to verbs for third person singular pronouns

This article will help you understand a super important rule in English: when to add -S -ES or -IES to verbs in the third person singular. We’ll break it down with simple explanations, lots of examples, and helpful charts. Let’s dive in!

What is “Third Person Singular,” Anyway?

Good question! In English, we have different “persons” for our pronouns:

First Person:
- Singular: I (the person speaking)
- Plural: We (the speaker and others)
Second Person:
- Singular: You (the person being spoken to)
- Plural: You (the people being spoken to)
Third Person:
- Singular: He, She, It (the person or thing being spoken about)
- Plural: They (the people or things being spoken about)

Read more about the definition of first, second, and third persons here – 3rd Person Singular Pronouns

When using verbs with a subject that is a third person singular, you must add “s” “ies” or “es” to the verb.

First person singular subject is “I” and a second person singular subject is “You”. Third person singular subjects are “he”, “she”, or “it”.

Why Do Verbs Change? The “S” Rule! Add S ES IES to verbs

When you use a verb with he, she, or it (or a singular noun like “John,” “my sister,” “the dog”), you almost always need to add an -s to the end of the verb. This is for simple present tense sentences – things that happen regularly or are generally true.

Think of it like a special signal that tells you who is doing the action!

Let’s look at some basic examples:

Subject	Verb (Base Form)	Verb (Third Person Singular)	Example Sentence
I	eat	–	I eat breakfast every morning.
You	eat	–	You eat breakfast every morning.
He	eat	eats	He eats breakfast every morning.
She	eat	eats	She eats breakfast every morning.
It	eat	eats	It eats the food quickly.
We	eat	–	We eat breakfast every morning.
They	eat	–	They eat breakfast every morning.
My brother	eat	eats	My brother eats breakfast every morning.

See? Only he, she, it, or a singular noun get the “-s”!

When to Add -ES: The Special Sounds

Sometimes, just adding an “-s” doesn’t sound right or is hard to say. That’s why we add -ES!

You add -ES to verbs that end with these sounds/letters:

-s
-ss
-sh
-ch
-x
-z
-o (for some common verbs like “go” and “do”)

Let’s see some examples:

Base Verb	Ends With	Third Person Singular	Example Sentence
pass	-ss	passes	He passes the ball.
wash	-sh	washes	She washes her hands.
watch	-ch	watches	He watches TV.
fix	-x	fixes	The mechanic fixes cars.
buzz	-zz	buzzes	The bee buzzes around.
go	-o	goes	She goes to school.
do	-o	does	He does his homework.
kiss	-ss	kisses	She kisses her baby goodnight.

Pro Tip: Say these words out loud. Adding “-es” makes them much easier to pronounce!

When to Add -IES: The “Y” Trick

This rule is a bit special and involves the letter “Y.”

If a verb ends in a consonant + Y, you need to:

Change the “Y” to an “I”
Add -ES

Remember: Consonants are all letters except A, E, I, O, U.

Let’s look:

Base Verb	Ends With	Third Person Singular	Example Sentence
study	-dy (D is consonant)	studies	He studies English every day.
cry	-ry (R is consonant)	cries	The baby cries loudly.
try	-ry (R is consonant)	tries	She tries her best.
fly	-ly (L is consonant)	flies	The bird flies high.
worry	-ry (R is consonant)	worries	He worries about the exam.

What about Vowel + Y? How to add “s”, “ies”, or “es”?

If a verb ends in a vowel + Y (A, E, I, O, U + Y), you just add -S like normal. No need to change the “Y”!

Base Verb	Ends With	Third Person Singular	Example Sentence
play	-ay (A is vowel)	plays	He plays soccer.
enjoy	-oy (O is vowel)	enjoys	She enjoys reading.
say	-ay (A is vowel)	says	He says hello.

Exceptions! Be (verb) different!

The verb “to be” is always a bit special! When using “to be” in the simple present with third person singular, it becomes “is.”

They are happy.

I am happy.

You are happy.

He is happy.

She is happy.

It is happy.

We are happy.

Third Person Singular - add s, ies, or ss to verbs

Quick Review Chart! – Add S ES IES to verbs

Here’s a handy chart to summarize everything:

Rule	Verb Ending	Example Verb	Third Person Singular
Most Verbs	Any other letter	walk	walks
Add -ES	-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o	wash	washes
Change Y to I and Add -ES	Consonant + Y	study	studies
Just Add -S (No change to Y)	Vowel + Y	play	plays
Special Case	to be	be	is

Practice Makes Perfect!

The best way to get good at this is to practice!

Read: Pay attention to verbs when you read English books, articles, or even social media.
Listen: Notice how native speakers use these verbs in movies, songs, or conversations.
Write: Try writing simple sentences using he, she, or it and make sure you add the correct ending to your verbs.
Speak: When you talk, try to consciously apply this rule. It might feel slow at first, but it will become natural!

Additional Helpful Information

Read more here – Have/Has, Do/Does, Don’t/Doesn’t

Need More Help? Check Out These Authoritative Sources!

Learning a language is a journey, and there are many great resources out there! Here are some reliable websites that can provide even more information and practice:

British Council Learn English: A fantastic resource with explanations, exercises, and games.
- Link to British Council LearnEnglish grammar page (search for present simple)
Cambridge Dictionary: Not just for definitions, but also has clear grammar explanations.
- Link to Cambridge Dictionary grammar explanations (search for present simple)
Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab): A very comprehensive resource for all things English grammar and writing.
- Link to Purdue OWL on subject-verb agreement (includes third person singular)

Keep practicing, and you’ll be speaking and writing with confidence in no time! Happy learning!