When do I add -S to verbs?
Which is the correct sentence in each pair?
a) Juan works during the day and studies at night.
b) Juan works during the day and studys at night.
a) My computer don’t work very well.
b) My computer don’t work very well.
We use the infinitive form of the verb with I, we, you, they in the present simple tense:
My friend Lisa and I like football, so we play every day.
We add -s to the infinitive form with he, she and it:
Our teacher likes music and he plays the guitar.
We have to make small changes to some verbs endings:
–es after -ss / -sh / -ch: pass: passes, finish: finishes, watch: watches
-es also: do: does, go: goes
Consonant + -y: -ies: try: tries, hurry: hurries, study: studies,
Verb have: have: has
We use the infinitive form in negative sentences:
My brother doesn’t pass his exams because he doesn’t study very often. (not doesn’t passes…doesn’t studies)
Note that the verb be has three forms. We say I am; we/you/they are; and she/he/it is. We make the negative with not and we often use contractions after pronouns: My sister is eighteen. She isn’t very tall, but she’s good at basketball.
When do I add -ED to verbs?
Which is the correct sentence in each pair?
a) My parents called me last night, but I wasn’t at home.
b) My parents call me last night, but I wasn’t at home.
a) I lost my friend’s pen, so I gave him another one.
b) I lost my friend’s pen, so I gived him another one.
We add -ed or -d to the infinitive form of the verb to make regular past simple forms:
I enjoyed the party on Saturday. I really liked the music.
We have to make small changes to some verb endings:
Consonant + -y: -ied: try: tried, hurry: hurried, study: studied
Double the final consonant: plan: planned, rob: robbed, stop: stopped
A lot of past simple verbs are irregular. Sometimes only one letter is different:
Infinitive: come – drink – fall – get – give – know – lose – make – win
Past Simple: came – drank – fell – got – gave – knew – lost – made – won
Some verbs have the same infinitive and past simple form:
cost, cut, hurt, let, put, read (pronounced red in the past simple)
Other verbs have very different past simple forms:
Infinitive: buy – do – feel – go – have – meet – see – sleep – speak – take
Past Simple: bought – did – felt – went – had – met – saw – slept – spoke – t12ook