Master the “S”: A Guide to Singular Verbs in English

Understanding singular verbs is the secret to sounding like a confident English speaker. Many learners find the “S” rule confusing, but it becomes simple once you see the pattern. In the present simple tense, the verb must match the person performing the action. This is called Subject-Verb Agreement.

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What is a Singular Verb?

A singular verb is the form we use when one person, place, or thing performs an action. In English, we specifically focus on the third person singular. This includes:

• Pronouns: He, She, It.
• Nouns: The student, Sarah, The cat, My phone.

The Golden Rule: Add the “S”

Unlike plural verbs (where the verb stays in its base form), singular verbs almost always need an ending.

• Most Verbs: Just add -s.
  • Example: He walks to school. She plays the piano.
• Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -z: Add -es.
  • Example: It watches the bird. He fixes the car.
• Verbs ending in a Consonant + Y: Change the y to i and add -es.
  • Example: The baby cries (from cry). She studies hard (from study).

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Common Singular Verbs in Action

To understand these better, let’s look at how a student uses them in a daily routine:

1. Starts: She starts her day with a cup of coffee.
2. Writes: He writes a goal in his notebook every morning.
3. Tries: A dedicated learner tries to speak English for ten minutes.
4. Enjoys: The teacher enjoys helping her students.
5. Works: The computer works faster after an update.

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Important Exceptions

Even though singular subjects usually take an “S,” there are two big exceptions you must remember: I and You.

Even though “I” is one person and “You” can be one person, they never take the “S” in the present tense.

• Correct: I eat an apple. (Not: I eats)
• Correct: You speak well. (Not: You speaks)

Why Does It Matter?

Using singular verbs correctly shows that you pay attention to detail. It helps the listener understand exactly who is doing the action. If you say “She go to school,” it sounds incomplete. When you say “She goes to school,” your English sounds polished and professional.

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Practice Tip

Next time you read an English book, circle every verb that ends in “s.” Look at the word before it. Is it a He, a She, or a Single Object? This habit will train your brain to catch the pattern automatically!

Here is a list of 60 highly common English verbs. To help you see the difference in form, the table shows the Third Person Singular (used with he, she, it, or a single person) and the Plural/Base Form (used with I, you, we, they, or multiple people).

60 Most Used Common Verbs

#	Singular (He/She/It)	Plural/Base (I/You/We/They)	#	Singular (He/She/It)	Plural/Base (I/You/We/They)
1	Is	Are	31	Leaves	Leave
2	Has	Have	32	Puts	Put
3	Does	Do	33	Means	Mean
4	Says	Say	34	Keeps	Keep
5	Goes	Go	35	Lets	Let
6	Gets	Get	36	Begins	Begin
7	Makes	Make	37	Seems	Seem
8	Knows	Know	38	Helps	Help
9	Thinks	Think	39	Shows	Show
10	Takes	Take	40	Hears	Hear
11	Sees	See	41	Plays	Play
12	Comes	Come	42	Runs	Run
13	Wants	Want	43	Moves	Move
14	Looks	Look	44	Lives	Live
15	Uses	Use	45	Believes	Believe
16	Finds	Find	46	Brings	Bring
17	Gives	Give	47	Happens	Happen
18	Tells	Tell	48	Writes	Write
19	Works	Work	49	Sits	Sit
20	Calls	Call	50	Stands	Stand
21	Tries	Try	51	Loses	Lose
22	Asks	Ask	52	Pays	Pay
23	Needs	Need	53	Meets	Meet
24	Feels	Feel	54	Includes	Include
25	Becomes	Become	55	Continues	Continue
26	Leaves	Leave	56	Sets	Set
27	Puts	Put	57	Learns	Learn
28	Means	Mean	58	Changes	Change
29	Keeps	Keep	59	Leads	Lead
30	Lets	Let	60	Follows	Follow

READ THIS STORY

This short story follows a character named Leo. Every sentence focuses on the third person singular and uses infinitive verbs to show his daily intentions.

Leo’s Productive Day

Leo wakes up early because he wants to start his day with energy. He reaches for his glasses and walks to the kitchen. First, he grinds some coffee beans and boils fresh water. He prefers to drink his coffee while he watches the sunrise from the balcony.

After breakfast, Leo sits at his desk. He opens his laptop because he needs to finish a big project for work. His cat, Luna, jumps onto the chair and purrs loudly. She loves to sleep near the warm computer. Leo smiles and continues to type his report. He strives to complete his tasks before noon.

In the afternoon, Leo goes to the park. He meets his friend, who teaches him how to play guitar. Leo tries to place his fingers on the strings correctly. He hopes to learn a full song by next week. He enjoys the feeling of the music.

When he returns home, he prepares a healthy dinner. He chops vegetables and fries some chicken. He refuses to eat junk food because he values his health. Finally, Leo lays in bed and reads a book. He decides to turn off the lights at ten o’clock. He manages to stay consistent with his routine every single day.

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Grammar Check: Did you notice?

• Leo / He / She / Luna: All these subjects are singular, so every verb ends in -s, -es, or -ies (e.g., wants, watches, tries).
• To + Verb: After the main action, we use an infinitive to show purpose (e.g., wants to start, needs to finish).

Here is a “Verb Repair” challenge. In the story below, the verbs are in their base form (plural). Your goal is to change them into the third person singular (add -s, -es, or -ies) to match the subject “Elena.”

Exercise: Elena’s Language Journey

Instructions: Rewrite the sentences by changing the verb in the brackets.

1. Elena (want) to master English this year.
2. She (study) for one hour every single morning.
3. Every day, she (listen) to a new podcast while she (jog).
4. When she (find) a difficult word, she (search) for the definition.
5. She (try) to use that word when she (talk) to her teacher.
6. Her teacher (say) that her pronunciation (sound) much better.
7. Elena (feel) happy because she (see) her own progress.
8. She (refuse) to quit when the grammar (become) hard.
9. Sometimes, her brother (help) her (practice) conversation.
10. He (think) she (learn) very quickly!