Simple present: forms

Forms

Affirmative	Question	Negative
I work	do I work?	I do not work
you work	do you work?	you do not work
he/she/it works	does he/she/it work?	he/she/it does not work
we work	do we work?	we do not work
they work	do they work?	they do not work

• Contracted negatives (see here): I don’t work, he doesn’t work, etc
• Negative questions (see here): do I not work? or don’t I work? etc

note

For passives (e.g. The work is done), (see here).

Spelling of third person singular forms

Rules	Examples
Most verbs: add -s to infinitive	work → works sit → sits stay → stays
Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -es	cry → cries hurry → hurries reply → replies
vowel + y: add -s	enjoy → enjoys
Verbs ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh or -x: add -es to infinitive	miss → misses buzz → buzzes watch → watches push → pushes fix → fixes
Exceptions:	have → has go → goes do → does

Pronunciation of third person singular forms

The pronunciation of the -(e)s ending depends on the sound that comes before it. The rules are the same as for the plural -(e)s ending, (see here).

Irregular pronunciations: says (/sez/, not /seɪz/); does (/dʌz/, not /duːz/).