In English present tense, the third-person singular (he, she, it, or any singular noun) takes a special verb form ending in -s. 'I play' becomes 'he plays', 'she plays', 'it plays'. This is one of the first grammar points students learn, but it has spelling rules. Most verbs just add -s (plays, runs, walks). Verbs ending in certain letters add -es: -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o all take -es (watches, washes, fixes, goes). Verbs ending in -y after a consonant change y to ies (try → tries, study → studies). And there are a few irregular forms: have → has, do → does. Students at A2 level often produce errors like 'he tryes' (should be tries), 'she wishs' (should be wishes), 'it goes' (often misspelled). This lesson covers the main third-person -s spelling rules at A2 level. It connects to gerund spelling (#47) and double letters (#62) — all about verb form spelling.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
MOST VERBS — just add -s:
play → plays (he plays football)
run → runs (she runs every morning)
walk → walks (he walks to school)
like → likes (she likes music)
eat → eats (he eats breakfast)
write → writes (she writes letters)
The -s is added directly with no spelling change. Why does English have this rule? When does it apply?
The third-person singular -s rule is one of the simplest in English grammar — but it must be applied every time. He, she, it (and singular nouns) take a verb form with -s. 'He plays' (not 'he play'). 'The dog runs' (not 'the dog run'). For most verbs, the -s is added directly with no spelling change. Play + s = plays. Run + s = runs. The pattern works for hundreds of verbs. Students who forget the -s ('he play football') produce a basic grammar error. Drilling the rule until automatic is essential at A2 level. The -s makes the verb agree with the subject — third-person singular subjects need third-person singular verbs.
Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o → add -ES:
watch + es = watches (he watches television)
wash + es = washes (she washes the dishes)
go + es = goes (he goes to school)
do + es = does (she does her homework)
fix + es = fixes (he fixes the car)
miss + es = misses (she misses her family)
catch + es = catches (he catches the bus)
buzz + es = buzzes (the bee buzzes)
What do these endings have in common? Why -es and not just -s?
Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o add -ES (not just -s) for two reasons. First, pronunciation — adding -es makes the word easier to say. Compare 'wash + s' (wash-s, hard to say) and 'wash + es' (wash-iz, easy to say). Second, the -es ending is more visible in writing. Students must learn the six endings: -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o. Memory: think of verbs ending in 'hissing' or 'buzzing' sounds (s, ss, sh, ch, x) — all add -es to be pronounceable. Plus -o (go → goes, do → does). The pattern is the same as some plural noun rules (covered in lesson #11). Drilling the six endings fixes the rule.
Verbs ending in -Y after a consonant → change Y to IES:
try → tries (he tries hard)
study → studies (she studies English)
cry → cries (the baby cries)
fly → flies (the bird flies)
worry → worries (he worries too much)
carry → carries (she carries the bag)
But verbs ending in -Y after a VOWEL just add -s:
play → plays (he plays football — note: pl-A-y, vowel before y)
stay → stays (she stays at home — st-A-y)
buy → buys (he buys food — b-U-y)
What is the rule? Why does it depend on the letter before y?
[POINTS IT CONSIDER: The y/ies rule depends on the letter before the y. If the letter before y is a CONSONANT (try, study, cry, worry), change y to i and add -es: tries, studies, cries, worries. If the letter before y is a VOWEL (play, stay, buy), just add -s: plays, stays, buys. The rule is about pronunciation — y after a consonant makes a 'ee' sound, which becomes 'ies' in writing. Y after a vowel keeps the vowel sound and just adds -s. Memory: consonant + y + s = ies (consonant-y becomes ies). Vowel + y + s = ys (just add s). The same rule applies to plural nouns (city → cities, day → days, baby → babies, boy → boys). Lesson #11 on plurals covers the same pattern.]
| Pattern | When | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add -s | Most verbs (default rule) | play → plays, run → runs, walk → walks, eat → eats, write → writes, like → likes | The basic pattern. Most verbs follow it. |
| Add -es | Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o | watch → watches, wash → washes, fix → fixes, go → goes, miss → misses, catch → catches | The -es ending is needed for pronunciation. |
| Y → IES | Verbs ending in -y after a consonant | try → tries, study → studies, cry → cries, fly → flies, carry → carries, worry → worries | Change y to i, then add -es. |
| Y → YS (just add s) | Verbs ending in -y after a vowel | play → plays, stay → stays, buy → buys, enjoy → enjoys, say → says | Vowel before y means just add -s. |
| Irregular: have | Have → has | He has a car. She has a phone. | One of the most common irregular forms. |
| Irregular: be | Be → is | He is a teacher. She is happy. It is cold. | Be is the most irregular verb in English. |
| Common errors | What students often write wrong | he play (missing -s), he tryes (should be tries), she wishs (should be wishes), he gos (should be goes) | These errors signal the student has not learned the rules. |
PATTERN 1 — The basic -s rule: For most verbs, just add -s for he/she/it. Play → plays. Run → runs. Walk → walks. The pattern is simple but must be applied every time. Forgetting the -s ('he play') is a basic A2 error.
PATTERN 2 — -ES after -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o: For verbs ending in these sounds, add -es (not just -s). Watch → watches. Wash → washes. Fix → fixes. Go → goes. The -es is needed for pronunciation. Memory: hissing/buzzing endings (s, ss, sh, ch, x) all take -es.
PATTERN 3 — Y to IES after a consonant: For verbs ending in -y after a consonant, change y to i and add -es. Try → tries. Study → studies. Cry → cries. The same rule applies to plural nouns (lesson #11).
PATTERN 4 — Y stays after a vowel: For verbs ending in -y after a vowel (play, stay, buy), just add -s. Play → plays. Stay → stays. The vowel before y keeps the y. Compare: pl-A-y (vowel) → plays / cr-y (no vowel before, the y is after the consonant r) → cries.
PATTERN 5 — Irregular forms: Have → has. Be → is. Do → does (also follows the -es rule). These are very common verbs. Students must memorise them. 'He have' (wrong — should be 'he has'). 'She be' (wrong — should be 'she is').
PATTERN 6 — Common errors to watch for: he play (missing -s), he tryes (no change of y), she wishs (no -es), he gos (no -es). Each error signals a specific rule the student has not mastered. Drilling the four rules (basic -s, -es, y→ies, irregulars) prevents most errors.
PATTERN 7 — The same rules apply to plural nouns: The spelling rules for adding -s/-es/-ies to verbs are mostly the same as for plural nouns (lesson #11). One book → two books. One watch → two watches. One try → two tries. Students who know one set know the other.
The third-person singular -s is one of the most basic grammar points in English, but it is also one of the most often forgotten. Even at B1 level, students sometimes drop the -s in fast speech or careless writing. The spelling rules for -s/-es/-ies are also error-prone. Drilling the rules at A2 level pays off across all later study. The lesson connects to plural nouns (#11) — same spelling patterns — and to gerund spelling (#47) and double letters (#62). All about verb and noun form spelling. Students who master these basic rules sound much more accurate in speech and writing.
Drill the four patterns through fast oral practice. Call out a base verb and a third-person subject. Students produce the correct form. 'Play / he' → 'he plays'. 'Watch / she' → 'she watches'. 'Try / it' → 'it tries'. Move quickly. Speed forces automatic recall of the rules. Mark errors immediately and have students self-correct.
Choose the correct third-person singular form of each verb. Apply the spelling rules.
Each sentence has a third-person -s spelling error. Find the wrong form, write the correct one, and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — The basic -s rule (5 min): Write on the board: 'I play / He plays / She plays / It plays.' Drill the basic pattern. He, she, it (or any singular noun) takes -s. Practise five verbs: I run / he runs, I walk / she walks, I read / it reads, I eat / my brother eats. Establish the basic agreement.
STEP 2 — Add -es after special endings (6 min): Drill the six endings that take -es: -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o. Watch → watches. Wash → washes. Fix → fixes. Go → goes. Miss → misses. Catch → catches. Drill each. Students should produce the -es form when they hear these endings.
STEP 3 — Y to IES (6 min): Drill the y rule. Y after a consonant → change to ies (try → tries, study → studies, cry → cries). Y after a vowel → just add -s (play → plays, stay → stays). Practise five verbs of each type. The difference is the letter BEFORE the y.
STEP 4 — Irregular forms (4 min): Drill the irregulars. Have → has. Do → does. Be → is. These are very common. He has, she has, it has. He does, she does, it does. He is, she is, it is. Practise five sentences with each.
STEP 5 — Quick fire drill (4 min): Call out a base verb and a third-person subject. Students must produce the correct form quickly. Mix all four patterns. 'Play / he' → 'he plays'. 'Try / she' → 'she tries'. 'Watch / it' → 'it watches'. 'Have / he' → 'he has'. Speed forces automatic recall.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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