Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

6.2: Should You Use –s (or –es) for a Present-Tense Verb?

  • Page ID
    5819
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Is the verb’s subject he, she, it, or one? If yes, Time to use –s! If no, Is the subject a singular noun? If yes, Time to use –s! If no, Is the subject a singular indefinite pronoun? If yes, Time to use –s! If no, Stick with the base form of the verb.

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\):

    Verb’s subject is he, she, it, or one: He loves going to watch musical theater.

    Verb’s subject is a singular noun: A parent wants the best for their child.

    Verb’s subject a singular indefinite pronoun: Everybody swims in the lake during the summer.


    This page titled 6.2: Should You Use –s (or –es) for a Present-Tense Verb? is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robing Jeffrey.

    • Was this article helpful?