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2.4: Grammar Tip- 3rd Person “s”

  • Page ID
    51348
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    In English, when you talk about another person or thing, the verb always has an “s” added to it.

    clipboard_efe671fef37201ef60403bad1d9f11efc.png

    The 3rd person “s” is always used when talking about another person in the present tense.

    Do not use the 3rd person “s”:

    • for negative sentences
    • to talk about the past or future

    Examples:

    • Third person “s”: She likes pizza.
      • Negative: She doesn’t like pizza.
    • Third person “s”: He speaks English.
      • Past tense: He didn’t speak English.
      • Future tense: He will speak English.
    Practice Questions

    Practice 1: Listen to the statements. Circle the form of the verb that you hear.

    Chapter 2_ Listening to verbs

    1. a) like b) likes

    2. a) play b) plays

    3. a) take b) takes

    4. a) eat b) eats

    5. a) read b) reads

    6. a) ride b) rides

    7. a) speak b) speaks

    Practice 2: Ask your partner the 5 questions and write their complete answers below. Use the correct form of the third person pronoun or possessive adjective and the 3rd person form of the verb.

    1. What is your name?

    2. Where are you from?

    3. What language do you speak?

    4. What is your hobby?

    5. What is your favorite food?

    1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

    2. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

    3. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

    4. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

    5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________


    This page titled 2.4: Grammar Tip- 3rd Person “s” is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Della Jean Abrahams (PDXOpen publishing initiative) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.