#ENN-Rule-43: Adding S/ES/IES to Verbs and Nouns
In English grammar, the addition of “s/es/ies” to the end of a verb or a noun can indicate whether it is in the singular or plural form.
Verb Form: Third-Person Singular
When “s/es/ies” is added to a verb, it typically indicates that the verb is in the third-person singular form. For example, “run” is a verb in its base form, but when it is used with a third-person singular subject (he, she, it), it needs to be changed to “runs.” This is a rule that is commonly used in the present simple tense. For instance:
| Singular Subject | Verb in Base Form | Verb in Third-Person Singular |
|---|---|---|
| He | run | runs |
| She | study | studies |
Noun Form: Plural
Similarly, when “s/es/ies” is added to a noun, it typically indicates that the noun is in the plural form. For example, “book” is a singular noun, but when we want to refer to more than one book, we add “s” to it to make it plural, as in “books.” This is a basic rule that applies to most countable nouns in English. For instance:
| Singular Noun | Plural Form |
|---|---|
| book | books |
| cat | cats |
Conclusion
Overall, adding “s/es/ies” to a verb or a noun is an important grammatical rule in English, as it helps to distinguish between singular and plural forms.
– Prof. Prakash Kesari, Maharashtra, India
