In a simple present sentence where he, she, it or a name is the subject, verbs can end in -s or -es depending on the way the verb ends.
For most words, just add -s to the end of the verb.
| Verb Ending | + s | Examples |
| One or more consonants | + s | calls, sends, wants |
| One or more consonants + e | + s | likes, races, writes |
| -ie | + s | lies, dies, ties |
For some words, however, you will need to add -es to the end of the verb.
| Verb Ending | + s | Examples |
| -o | + es | goes, does, soloes |
| -sh, -ch, -tch, -x, -z, -ss | + es | kisses, watches, buzzes, fixes, splashes |
| consonant + y | Change the -y to -ie and add s | dries, flies, worries |
It is also important to know that we pronounce words differently for different forms of -s and -es. Depending on the base verb, the ending can be pronounced as 's', 'z' or 'iz'.
| Verb Ending | Pronunciation | Examples |
| Most consonant and vowel sounds | z |
goes runs |
| p, t, k, or f sounds | s |
cooks likes laughs |
| s, z, ch, sh or x sounds | iz |
notices touches |