ESL Grammar: PRESENT TENSE (2) -s/-es

In this ESL grammar lesson, students learn to add -s/-es to verbs in present tense sentences when the subject is He, She, or It.

ESL Grammar: What is the Present Tense?

The present tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, general truths, and scheduled events. In English, the present tense often requires modifying the base form of the verb when used with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it).

Adding -s to Verbs in the Present Tense

For most verbs, adding -s to the base form of the verb is straightforward when the subject is third-person singular (he, she, it).

Examples:

• He runs every morning. (run + s)
• She sings beautifully. (sing + s)
• It rains a lot in April. (rain + s)

Adding -es to Verbs in the Present Tense

For verbs that end in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -z, you need to add -es to the base form when the subject is third-person singular.

Examples:

• He watches TV every evening. (watch + es)
• She finishes her homework on time. (finish + es)
• It mixes well with water. (mix + es)

The English grammar lesson below gives students a chance to practice adding -s or -es to verbs in the present tense. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on basic English tenses (present tense, present continuous tense, past tense, future tense) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 2: Tenses).