When to Add “s” to a Verb
If you feel confident about forming plurals in English by adding an “s” or “es” at the end of the word, I’m about to make you feel a little wobbly. Although most noun plurals are formed this way, verb plurals are formed by removing the “s.”
For example, which verb is plural, talk or talks? Because you would say, “He talks,” talks is the singular verb. You would say, “They talk.” Therefore, talk is the plural verb.
Example: The position listed on the university Web site caught my attention because my education, experience, and training closely parallel/parallels your needs.
Answer: This sentence has two sets of subjects and verbs. The first subject/verb combination is position/caught. The second set of subjects is education, experience, and training, which is plural. We would say, “They parallel” so we must write or say, “…my education, experience, and training closely parallel your needs.”
Example: If he or she needs/need me, I will be in the other room.
Answer: In this sentence, he and she are the subjects; however, they are connected by or so we use the singular verb needs.
Pop Quiz
1. When he and Jenny walks/walk to work, they hold hands.
2. They leaves/leave at the end of the year for a month-long vacation.
3. Her dog, cat, and chicken gets/get along well together.
4. When he gets/get angry, his face turns red.
5. She goes/go away every August.
Answers
1. walk (plural)
2. leave (plural)
3. get (plural)
4. gets (singular)
5. goes (singular)
Posted on Saturday, April 14th, 2007, at 8:44 pm
126 Responses to “When to Add “s” to a Verb”
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I want to sit exam this year and i want to have an excellent result. I MY THIS QUESTION CORRECT ?
I don’t understand your request. What are you asking?
I’m not sure why you talk about plural vs singular. What about “I”. I think this sentences is correct:
If I need you, I will call your room.
I understand that “I” is singular and I’m still using the verb without “s”. I learn the rule like “verbs in 3rd person (i.e. he, she, it) should be suffixed with an s”.
Thanks!
This is a very good question! You are correct that “I” is singular and in the case of a 3rd person (he, she, it), the verb should usually be suffixed with an s. In your example, “If I need you, I will call your room,” the verb “call” is singular, but the word “will” is present. In this case, the word “will” is a modal auxiliary verb. It is used in conjunction with the main verb “call.” When an auxiliary verb is there, the verb does not change no matter what the subject is (I will call, you will call, we will call, they will call, he will call, she will call.)
A question on sample SAT test 2 in The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edtion, gives the word “her” as the error in the following sentence:
“Neither Ms. Perez nor Ms. Tanaka believes that watching as much television as her son Sam does will lead to anything productive.” The choices for errors were “nor”, “believes”, “her”, “will lead”, and No Error.
I thought that “believes” is wrong because nearest subject dictates verb tense; thus it should be “believe.” Also, for “her” to be wrong, it must be “their” in which case Ms. Perez and Ms. Tanaka have a son together. Can someone confirm or refute the SAT answer?
I’m not sure what the SAT folks were trying to get at here either. “Her son” doesn’t seem to fit because only one son is named. However, two singular nouns connected by “neither/nor” should take a singular verb like “believes.” So does the SAT suggest that the answer is “Neither Ms. Perez nor Ms. Tanaka believes that watching as much television as their son Sam does will lead to anything productive”? In this case, you are right that we have to presume that they share a son, which is a weird presumption to have to make.
what about the verbs that come after can and to?how we add s to them
We don’t necessarily add an “s” to the verb that comes after “can.”
Example: He can cook.
Often, the word that comes after “do” is a noun and does not have an “s” on it.
Examples: She does the work of two people. The two of them do the work of four people.
why you use an here?
we don’t necessarily add an ‘s’ to the verb……
all the question answer are really helpful….
but i have memorising problem…which i read always forget…
When you pronounce the letter s, it begins with a vowel sound (ess). In English you use an instead of a before a word that begins with a vowel or a vowel sound.
Thank you so much!
You are welcome!
How about sentences that uses ‘May’ – example: May he answers or May he answer?
The word “may” in this case is a modal auxiliary verb. It is used in conjunction with the main verb “answer” in your example. Normally the verb would change spelling in the third person singular case (I answer, we answer, they answer but he answers, she answers). When the modal auxiliary is there, the word “answer” does not change no matter what the subject is (I may answer, you may answer, they may answer, he may answer, she may answer). The correct usage would be “May he answer?”
What about ‘people/the world/everyone/no one’ ?? is there an ‘s’ behind every verb?
People is plural, so you do not add an s after the verb.
The world is singular, so it does take an s after the verb.
Everyone and no one are indefinite pronouns, and are considered singular, so you do add an s.
Just wondering how did the rule come to be that there should be a “s” added to verbs when the subject is singular, and no “s” when the subject is plural? What’s the reasoning behind setting up that rule in the English language? (I’m aware of the ‘sounding right’ part, but what made the language folks decide that there should be a “s” for singular verbs etc?)
Thanks
I really don’t know the answer to your question. Languages evolve over time. Maybe there is a language historian or linguist out there that can offer an answer to this question.
if we must use s with singular verbs so why we dont use s with I :for instance I goes but we say he goes or my family goes how we can explain it with I,thanks
The subject-verb agreement rules apply to all personal pronouns except I and you. Even though these pronouns are singular, they require plural forms of verbs.
and my next question is that why we suppose that the word family is singular but the word people is plural,thanks again
Family is a singular noun because it acts as a single unit. Its plural is families. The word people is plural as it is synonymous with persons, individuals, or human beings.
I teach adult ESL classes. I don’t know how to explain the verb tense when using, ‘family’. If ‘they’needs a singular verb, why does ‘family’(they) use a plural verb. ‘The family works’, but, ‘They work’.
The word they is plural. The plural form for the verb work is work (They work, we work). The word family is singular because it acts as a single unit. The singular form for work is works (He works, she works). The plural form of family is families.
Wow! I learned a lot especially because of the comments together with your answers.
This resource is exactly what I’m looking for.
You seem to be pretty good in English. =)
I am glad you found our website helpful!
I want to know how to use this sentence( no one knows or no one’s knows which one is the right)
No one is singular and not a possessive, so ‘s is not used. Also, the word the is unnecessary.
No one knows which one is right.
I have a question regarding use and form:
“he seems not to be” and “he doesn’t seem to be”
when do I use the first and the second form? which is correct? and what is the difference in use of both sentences?
The first example contains a split verb phrase. The word not is awkwardly placed in between the verb phrase seems to be. Although there is no exact rule being broken in this phrase, it is a matter of style. The second phrase contains the contraction doesn’t, which would not be preferred in formal writing. I recommend He does not seem to be.
I really dont get it
verb is not like noun that when you add “s” or “es” makes it plural right? How will you be able to determine if the verb is singular or plural? Verb must agree with the subject right? A singular subject must have a singular verb and a plural subject requires plural verb..
And if i am correct, you make the verb plural by removing or not adding “s” or “es” in it?
Thank you so much
I think i just figured out the answer to my question by reading the comments. Thank you!!
I am glad you discovered that verb plurals are formed by removing the s. English is an interesting language isn’t it?
This is a good website to learn english. thank you so much:D
(I’m not so good at english, I’m French. English and French are very different language)
Yes, I agree that they are quite different! Good luck with your study of English.
my question is that when do we not have to use s with a verb for a third person?
Or is it a must to use s with a verb for a third person in any case?
You need to add an s to a verb when referring to another person (singular) unless you use the pronoun you.
Examples:
He walks his dog every morning.
She gets more work done when it is quiet.
Sam goes running after work each day.
You leave too early to carpool with us.
Thanks, but i am still confused!
when we don’t use an s with a verb for another person?
Do not add an s to the verb when using the singular pronoun you. Examples: You leave too early to carpool with us. You walk your dog every morning.
How would you ask question / interrogative sentence for this:-
Q1. He took the bus.
Ans. Did he take the bus?
My question is why not “Did he takes the bus?”
If you turn your question around to make a statement you would write He did take the bus. The sentence uses the auxiliary verb did, therefore you need to use the verb take.
Currently this web site has the statement, “I Will Restore and Spirit of Victory and Praise International Spiritual Center presents Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith at “Revolve – Evolve 2012.”
I am about to change this to “I Will Restore, Inc. and Spirit of Victory and Praise International Spiritual Center present Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith at “Revolve – Evolve 2012.”
Which is correct? I believe the second is correct, which is why I am changing it. Also, I am studying for a Praxis II Exam to teach English. So on both levels this is helpful. Thanks
As long as Spirit of Victory and Praise International Spiritual Center is one entity, I agree with you that the second statement is much easier for the reader to understand than the first one.
When do we have to use will and would, could and can?please kindly clarify it to me its really confusing
And also kindly tell me that when don’t have to use an s with the verb for another person(singular)?
As a verb, will indicates that something is expected to happen in the future, such as We will leave tomorrow. Will is also used to ask someone to do something, such as Will you please help me find my coat?
Would indicates what someone said or thought about what was going to happen or be done, such as She said she would come with us. Would is also sometimes used to make a request or an offer, such as Would you like to come with us?
Can means to be able, such as He can come with us. Could is used as the past tense of can, such as Yesterday we could see the smoke from the fire.
There are many other definitions for these words. I recommend checking Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary for more information.
The only time you do not add s to a verb for a singular form is with the pronoun you.
why do you use “s” after the verb when you use “everything”
Words like everything, anything, someone, anybody, everyone, etc. are called indefinite pronouns. They refer to an unspecified person, place, or thing. In most cases, indefinite pronouns take singular verbs, which generally end in s. Some indefinite pronouns always take a singular verb. Everything always takes a singular verb. Examples: Everything is going well at Bob’s company. Everything sounds hard.
I am a native spanish speaker, I agree with you, but when I found this in several web sites, it makes me feel confouse,why they add “S” to “keep”, Thanks!!
Happiness keeps you sweet.
Trials keep you strong.
Sorrows keep you human.
Failures keep you humble.
Success keeps you glowing.
But only God keeps you going!
The subject and verb must agree (singular or plural). Verb plurals are formed by removing the “s.”
Happiness (singular) keeps (singular) you sweet.
Trials (plural) keep (plural) you strong.
Sorrows (plural) keep (plural) you human.
Failures (plural) keep (plural) you humble.
Success (singular) keeps (singular) you glowing.
But only God (singular) keeps (singular) you going!
Hi Jane.
They are very useful and I bet people who read these up can really learn. 
First and foremost, thanks a bunch for posting these information.
I got another question. How about this sentence, “This plate of pasta makes your stomach go/goes crazy.” So, which is the case?
Hope to hear from you soon. Cheers!
The verb makes is a transitive verb. Stomach is the direct object. You would say “makes it go.”
This plate of pasta makes your stomach go crazy.
Hi Jane.. My name is Hafiz.. an Asian comes from Malaysia.. I’ve learned so many things from you (this website).. It was really great web for someone like me whom failure in English.. after I saw all the comments and reply from you, I think I’ve know how to add -s or -es for the most verbs. thanks ya for helping me
Hafiz, I do not think you are a failure in English at all. Your comments are understandable, though there are a few grammar errors. Learning English is not an easy thing to do and I am glad you find our website helpful. In an effort to help you continue to improve your English, I will rewrite your comments in the style of a native American English speaker:
Hi, Jane. My name is Hafiz. I am from Malaysia. I have learned so many things from your website. It is a great website for someone like me who thinks he is a failure in English. After I saw all the comments and the replies from you, I think I know how to add -s or -es to most verbs. Thank you for helping me.
hi Jane, I respect how humble you are when you reply those comments ., and I need a solution for this..
“I saw all the comments”
“ALL” and “COMMENTS” in one sentence, are they correct? please explain, thanks alot
Yes, the sentence is correct. The word all is an adjective that describes the word comments.
Hi, Jane. I’m David.
I’m from Korea in ASIA.
So, my first language is NOT english,
I use Korean. So, I’m bad at English,
Especially GRAMMER!
I learned much in your website.
I really must thank you.
I really didn’t knew much in adding -s.
Thanks, really.
I am glad my website has helped you.
Hi,
I am confused between “would” and “would be”…at which type of sentence we should use “be” after auxiliary..like “what if any earthquake would occurs than the whole building would be collapsed.” or
“what if any earthquake occurs than the building would be collapsed” or
“what if any earthquake would occurs than the whole building would collapsed” or
“what if any earthquake occurs than the whole building would collapsed”
which one is better & thanks for your reply on above comments…it’s really helpful..
Use would before a verb and would be before an adjective. Also, the word any in your sentence should be an and the word than should be then. It is better to make both parts of your sentence either a question or a statement instead of a mixture of the two. In addition, since you do not want to repeat the word would, use the word should first. The word then is unnecessary. For example:
What if an earthquake should occur; would the whole building collapse? OR
What if an earthquake should occur; would the whole building be flattened? (The phrase “building be collapsed” is awkward to a native English speaker and would not be used.)
If an earthquake should occur, the whole building would collapse. OR
If an earthquake should occur, the whole building would be flattened.
So I guess my question would be, if there are two subjects or opposite count, which determines how we use the verb that follows?
For example: We can also observe that, in general, the execution time of both algorithms grows slowly when epsilon grows.
If the above sentence is grammatically correct, then I understand why “grows” after epsilon ends with “s,” but why does “grows” after “algorithms” end with “s”? Is it because the growth of the execution time is what’s linking this verb (where “time” is singular), and if so, doesn’t the plural “algorithms” imply that there are more than one execution time that’s measured?
The same applies for the following: The output of the calls is transferred to the given nodes.
I’m unsure as to why “is” is not “are” since “calls” is plural, but I’m also taking into consideration that “output” is singular. Which is the subject that determines how I use the verb?
Please help.
My Rule 2 of Finding Subjects and Verbs states “A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of.” Therefore, the subjects in each of your sentences that the verbs must agree with are time and output. Each word is singular and thus takes a singular verb. It is up to you to write your sentences to reflect what you mean:
“. . . the execution time of both algorithms grows slowly . . .” OR “. . . the execution times of both algorithms grow slowly . . .”
“The output of the calls is transferred . . .” or “The outputs of the calls are transferred . . .”
Hi Jane,
I little bit confuse how to apply ‘es’ or ‘s’ to verb when I speak about department which has more then one person.
Department in this case is plural or singular?
The department comply or complies?
Department provide or provides?
The word department is a collective noun. Collective nouns can be tricky because they can be considered singular or plural depending on how they are used in the sentence. If these nouns are acting as a unit, use a singular verb. If the sentence indicates more individuality, use a plural verb. It is up to the author of the sentence to make this determination. In most instances, the word department acts as a unit and is singular. If that is the case in your situation, use the singular verbs complies and provides.
Hi, thanks for your help exactly that I expected to be…
I often confused while making a sentence with dual verb like
1)she become elated.
2)she felt elated
3)she got dressed
what if the sentence represents in past tense, does it make any sense to use both verb in its past tense form?
and which one is right as i described under
1) she becomes embarrassed taking an important decision.
2) she becomes embarrasses taking an important decision.
3)she becomes embarrassed while taking an important decision.
and give me some examples which includes dual verb in different tenses…
again thanks for your help
The correct usage would be “She became elated.” The sentence is past tense. “She felt elated” and “She got dressed” are both correct.
For your second question the following are correct:
She becomes embarrassed while making important decisions. (Note that the correct word is making, not taking.) OR
She became embarrassed while making an important decision.
In English we do not usually use the term “dual verbs.” Modals or auxiliaries (sometimes called “linking” or “helping” verbs) are used in conjunction with the main verb. Here are some examples:
He will write a letter to his grandmother tomorrow. (Future tense)
He did write a letter to his grandmother last week. (Past tense)
He is writing a letter to his grandmother today. (Present tense)
She will play tennis tomorrow. (Future tense)
She did play tennis yesterday. (Past tense)
She is playing tennis today. (Present tense)
Can you please give explanation the use the addition of ‘ies’ in singular subject verb agreement?
If the verb ends in y and is preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add es. For verbs ending in y preceded by a vowel, just add s. Examples:
carry, carries
study, studies
employ, employs
stay, stays
thank you so much i finally understand the grammar
I’m ARABIC girl ^^
thank you again
I am happy to hear that you are understanding English grammar. Don’t forget the importance of capitalization and punctuation in your writing as well as proper grammar.
Hey
Is it “my breaths forms wisps,” or “my breaths form wisps,”
Thanks.
Since the word breaths is plural, use the plural verb form. “My breaths form wisps.”
Or, if you use the singular noun breath, “My breath forms wisps.”
hi jan. is this English sentence right or wrong?. is an intruction sentence from a professor from an Indian collage.
he retort:”i’m Prof.T.Ekambaram Naidu,Fouder Chairman- Managing Trustee,of the Indo Asain Academy Educution Trust, Bangalore, India warmly welcome you with wide open arm to the paradise of learning”.
Here is the sentence with proper capitalization, punctuation, and grammar: “I am Professor T. Ekambaram Naidu, the founder, chairman, and managing trustee of the Indo Asian Academy Education Trust in Bangalore, India. I warmly welcome you with wide open arms to the paradise of learning.”
When the subject in a sentence is 3rd person singular number then s or es must be put after the main verb.
Ex. 1. He goes to school
(here the subject He is 3rd person singular number)
2. She works for me.
Yes, you are correct. The only exception is when that third person is the pronoun you.
You walk your dog every morning.
so if i had the sentence. Uncle richard is one of those people who (swim, Swims) dailys. which one would i use?
The verb has to agree with the noun people, therefore use the word swim. In order to make sure you are using the correct form of the verb, you could turn the sentence around and write, “Of those people who swim daily, Uncle Richard is one of them.”
Thanks Jane for this wonderful website. This is great.
You are welcome. I am glad you like the website.
I have question about the s or not to put s in first person ” I “. For example ” I feel like winter or I feels likr winter. Thank you.
The word winter is a season and is not used to describe the way a person feels. If you are speaking about the weather, you could say “It feels like winter,” meaning the weather feels like winter. The pronoun it takes the singular verb feels and uses the s. An example of a sentence using the pronoun I is “I feel cold.” The subject-verb agreement rules apply to all personal pronouns except I and you. Even though these pronouns are singular, they require plural forms of verbs. Therefore, with the pronoun I, use the verb feel with no s.
If everybody know/knows how to read, then book will never cease to be useful. —- in this case I don’t understand why it need to be knows when it should be singular (know) only. Please help. Thanks
Words like everybody, everything, anything, someone, etc. are called indefinite pronouns. They refer to one or more unspecified persons, places, or things. In most cases, indefinite pronouns take singular verbs, which generally end in s. Some indefinite pronouns always take a singular verb. Everybody always takes a singular verb. The singular verb in this case is knows.
If everybody knows how to read, then books will never cease to be useful.
Hi, my name is Dan
please help me understand the proper use of commas, colon and semicolon in sentences. Please add examples.
In the English Rules section of our GrammarBook.com website, there is an entire list of punctuation rules. You can click on the specific punctuation mark and have access to rules, explanations, and examples for commas, colons, and semicolons. The blogs listed below are also devoted to these topics and include explanations and examples. Just click “Grammar Blog,” and then select a punctuation mark under “Blog Categories.” You can then choose from the following blogs:
Using Commas, Semicolons, and Colons within Sentences
Connecting Sentences with Commas and Semicolons
Commas, Part 1
Commas, Part 2
The Power of Punctuation
Commas before and in a Series
Commas with Appositives
Semicolons
Colons with Lists
Colons (Continued)
Is the sentence below grammatically correct? I am looking at the word “costs”.
The colt costs less than the beautiful horse.
Yes, it is grammatically correct.
I have learned since EMailing you that “costs” in the sentence below is correct if you are talking about the present. But “cost” is correct if you are speaking in past tense. Is that right?
The word cost is the past tense form, both singular and plural. It is also the present plural form. Costs is correct in the present tense, singular subject form.
Examples:
The colt costs less than the beautiful horse. (Present tense singular) In this case, perhaps a breeder is talking to you about horses that you are considering buying.
The colt cost less than the beautiful horse. (Past tense singular) In this case, perhaps you are talking about horses that you already bought.
Those apples cost one dollar. (present tense plural)
Those shoes cost her an entire paycheck. (past tense plural)
Hi ,
I have a question ,
Why we didn’t write (s) after the verb keep in this sentence
( ( it is suggested that translator keep the four levels in parallel) ?
Your sentence is an example of the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs. The subjunctive mood is often used in “that” and “if” clauses and expresses a request, recommendation, or suggestion. The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal speech and writing. Your sentence needs the word the before the noun translator. Also the word in is unnecessary.
It is suggested that the translator keep the four levels parallel.
Stated more directly:
The translator should keep the four levels parallel.
Hi ,jane
i would like to thank you for this great website
and im not a native speaker of english
but i always ask myself when do we add an s to verbs?
but i couldn’t ask at grammar class
we learned all about tenses but they didn’t teach us about this at university so i looked for it online and i found the answer on this great website
thank you again
sam
I am glad that you found the answer you were looking for. Thank you for the kind words.
Hi Jane! I’m a little puzled with this: “he should step forward…” or “he should steps forward”? The last one doesn’t sound good but beeing involved “he” it’s still nedeed “s” or not? Thank you very much!
The word “should” in this case is an auxiliary (helping) verb. It is used in conjunction with the main verb “step” in your example. Normally the verb would change spelling in the third person singular case (I step, we step, they step but he steps, she steps). When the auxiliary verb is there, the word “step” does not change no matter what the subject is (I should step, you should step, they should step, he should step, she should step). The correct usage would be “He should step forward.”
Hi Jane,
I have a question with this sentence. Is it “School letters ANNOY/ANNOYS me”. I think it should be annoy as letters is a plural noun but I’m not certain.
Another thing I need clarifying is, we need not write a verb in past tense after ‘did’ as ‘did’ already signifies the past tense right?
You are correct. The verb must agree with the plural subject letters. Therefore, the plural verb annoy is correct. When you use the word did as an auxiliary (helping) verb, the main verb does not change because did signifies past tense.
Hi Jane. I am Filipino. Being a college student, it is a must that we should know how to speak and write in english. We all know that when you speak in english, errors are not easily noticed. The hardest thing in english is when you write down all the ideas in your mind. With what you wrote and comments I’ve read, I must say I was enlightened. Thnks a lot. Ü
Just wanna ask a thing. When should we use the word ‘has, have, and had’ in a sentence. Is it necessary even we can clearly see an adj. in past form in a sentence. Another thng that I want to clarify is the usage of ‘in, on, and at’ in a sentence. I know that ‘in’ and ‘on’ can both be used for place, time, etc. but I am quite afraid of using neither of the two for I might commit a wrong thing using one of them. I want to be good in english that’s why I keep on browsing the net for some informative stuffs I may encounter. I want to know the usage of ‘for’,'to’, and ‘with’ in a sentence. Lastly, when will I use the word ‘is’ before an adj. or a verb in past form(e.g. is formed)? Is it true that the word ‘so’ is used for a negative thought and ‘very’ is for the opposite?
Please correct my grammar if you will be seeing something to be corrected. MASSIVE THANKYOU AGAIN AND GOD BLESS.
I am pleased that you have been enlightened by our website. However, your questions are beyond the scope of what we normally answer in the blog, where we are focusing on specific topics. You will find help with some of your questions in the Grammar Rules section of the website under the English Rules tab. I also suggest that you work directly with your English professors or teaching assistants in your college.
Hi Jane, just wanna ask which of these two sentences is correct:
1. May God shower you with blessings.
2. May God showers you with blessings.
I really got confused whether i’ll use singular verb or plural verb after the word God. Please enlighten me.
Thanks in advance.
The word “may” in this case is an auxiliary (helping) verb. It is used in conjunction with the main verb “shower” in your example. Normally a singular verb would be used and it would be formed by adding an s. When the auxiliary verb is there, the spelling of the main verb does not change.
May God shower you with blessings.
Hi Jane!I’d like to ask you which of these two sentences is right :
1) Her family live in New York
2) Her family lives in New York
Please explain me the answer ! Thanks
The word family is a collective noun. Since this noun is acting as a single unit, use a singular verb. The singular form for the verb live is formed with an s.
Her family lives in New York.
Jane, you are awesome! I didn’t want to read through all the messages, but here is my example I need help with:
“The company salutes the good work you’ve done, appreciate(s) the people you are, and thank(s) you for your positive influence.”
Do I put an s on all verbs or just the first one?
The verbs all have to agree with the singular subject company. Therefore, add s to all of them to make them singular. I assume your sentence is being addressed to a work unit or to several persons. If it is addressed to only one person, then “person” needs to replace the word “people.”
“The company salutes the good work you’ve done, appreciates the people you are, and thanks you for your positive influence.”
how about this sentence…
1. budi and susi likes bakso
2. budi and susi like bakso
which one the right answer? and give the reason.
thank u
Your example sentence contains two subjects, Budi and Susi, therefore, the verb must be plural as well. The plural form of the verb like does not add an s. Note that the proper names are capitalized (I assume bakso is a food and not a name) and the sentence ends with a period.
Budi and Susi like bakso.
hai, are these grammatically correct sentences?
1) i just can’t believe she forces me to pay for our dinner
2) it is belongs to me OR it belongs to me
3) she let her son drive the car OR she lets her son to drive the car.
1) Your first sentence is grammatically correct with the necessary capitalization and punctuation added.
I just can’t believe she forces me to pay for our dinner.
2) The second sentence should be written:
It belongs to me.
3) Your final sentence should not contain the word to. Use of the words let vs. lets changes when the action described in the sentences occurred. Again the correct capitalization and punctuation are necessary.
She let her son drive the car. (past tense)
She lets her son drive the car. (present tense)
Hey Jane! your explenations are really good! So, agreeing on what you said and I’ve always been taught, is there a grammatical error?
Because the Internet is a highly promoted tool, detection and diagnosis of addiction is often difficult. Therefore, it is essential that the skilled clinician understand the characteristics which differentiate normal from pathological Internet use (PIU).
The skilled clinician is singular, but understand doesn’t end with an S.
I took this from a serious article about Internet addiction, I mean, I didn’t made it up myself. So what do you think?
Thank you so much!
The sentence is an example of the subjunctive mode. The subjunctive mode pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs. The subjunctive is often used in “that” and “if” clauses in sentences that express a wish, request, recommendation, or suggestion. Therefore, the verb understand is correct.
I would like to ask that–
Not only did she go to the market but also to the cinema.
(the “did” is necessary here or not)
or we can simply write it as–
Not only she went to the market but also to the cinema.
PLEASE HELP.
The word did is necessary in your first sentence. The second sentence is not grammatically correct but could be rewritten several ways including, “She went not only to the market but also to the cinema.”
thank you Jane, i learned a lot!
I know this is out of subject but which sentence most correct
You’re telling me that we’ve two eggs or You telling me that we’ve got two eggs
I am glad our website has helped you. Any of the following would be acceptable:
You’re telling me that we have two eggs.
You are telling me that we have two eggs.
Are you telling me that we have two eggs?
I’m having trouble with determining the correct verb for the phrase:
My education combined with my experience make/makes me a strong candidate for …
Does ‘combined with’ suggest that the verb should be in the plural – as though it were equivalent to ‘and’?
Our Rule 7 of Subject and Verb Agreement states, “Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.” Combined with is one of these expressions, therefore the verb should agree with the subject education.
My education combined with my experience makes me a strong candidate for …
Hi Jane,
Please teach me with this sentence again.
You explained that “She let her son drive the car” and you suggested it is as a past tense sentence, so the word “let” does not require “s”? So my question is, do past tense sentences don’t require “s” for the verb?
Thanks a lot Jane
Most regular past tense verbs do not end with the letter s. An exception is the word was, as in He was late.
why do we add s or es with third singular person.
thanks
When you speak of adding s or es, I assume you are referring to the verbs that are used with third person singular pronouns. I will give you some general guidance but there will be exceptions. When in doubt, check a dictionary. Verbs that end in s, z, sh, and ch sounds generally have es added. Examples: guess/guesses, buzz/buzzes, rush/rushes, watch/watches. However, there are also go/goes and do/does. Verbs that end in other sounds generally have only s added. Examples: free/frees, walk/walks, run/runs, sway/sways. Verbs that end in a consonant and then y will drop the y and add ies. Examples: study/studies, ready/readies, fly/flies.
Hi Jane,
I would like to know in present tense, do we add ‘s’ to the verbs that follows the 3rd person (she,he it) by having the words, always, may, often in front of it.
For example:
1). She may knock (or knocks) down the table?
2). She always walk (or walks) along the beach?
3). He often talk (or talks) to God?
4). How do we explain to students the words in the above sentences of ‘ always, may and often’? do they call prepositions of time?
Look (or looking) forward to your prompt reply.
The word may is an auxiliary or helping verb in your first sentence. It is used in conjunction with the main verb “knock” in your example. Normally a singular verb would be used and it would be formed by adding an s (she knocks). When the auxiliary verb is there, you do not add the s.
She may knock down the table.
The words always and often in your next sentences are adverbs. They modify the verbs and have no effect on their spelling, therefore the singular verbs are formed by adding the s.
She always walks along the beach.
He often talks to God.
Hi jane,
in the below sentence, I know I must add an s to the verb ‘live’. And I want to know should I also add an ‘s’ to end of ‘come’ and ‘ask’?
”That moment when a cute girl who lives near your home come and ask for a help”
Yes, all three verbs must agree with the word girl. The article a is not necessary before the word help. Your example, although not a complete sentence, should be written “that moment when a cute girl who lives near your home comes and asks for help.”