The simple present tense is easy to form.
There is one rule when we make positive sentences in the simple present tense: For third person singular subjects (he,she, it) we usually add an -s to the end of the verb.
he loves, she prefers, it starts
But for different verbs we also add an -es to the end of the verb.
he catches, she goes, it finishes
Do you know when to add -s or -es to the end of the verbs in the simple present tense?
If not, no problem. There are some simple rules the to help you understand when to add an -s or -es to the end of the verbs. We call these spelling rules. When learning the spelling rules of the verbs in the simple present tense, the most important thing is the last letterof the verb. Depending on the last letter(s) of the verb, we add -s or -es to the verb.
Let's learn these rules.
1.To form positive sentences in the simple present tense we add an -s to the end of the most of the verbs.
But there are different rules for different verbs depending on the last letter(s) of the verb.
2.When the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -z, -x, -o we add -es to the end of the verb
watch - watches wash - washes go - goes fix - fixes
kiss - kisses teach - teaches finish - finishes do - does
mix - mixes miss - misses
3. When the verb ends in a consonant + -y, drop the -y and add -ies
study - studies fly - flies try - tries cry - cries
(P.S. What are vowels and consonants? The English Alphabet consists of 26 letters. The a,e,i,o,u letters in the alphabet are vowels. The rest of the letters in the alphabet, i.e. b,c,d,f,etc. are consonants.)
The verb have is a bit different. The 3rd person singular form of have is has in the third person singular Simple Present Tense.
NOTE:
We pronounce the -s at the end of the verbs as /s/, /z/ or /ız/.
If you want to learn how to pronounce the -s at the end of the verbs click here.