21a. Standard subject-verb combinations
This section describes the basic guidelines for making present-tense verbs agree with their subjects. The present-tense ending -s (or -es) is used on a verb if its subject is third-person singular (he, she, it, and singular nouns); otherwise the verb takes no ending. Consider, for example, the present-tense forms of the verbs love and try, given at the beginning of the following chart.
The verb be varies from this pattern; it has special forms in both the present and the past tense (see the end of the chart).
If you aren’t sure of the standard forms, use the following chart as you proofread your work. See also the flowchart at the bottom of the page and 27c on -s endings of regular and irregular verbs.
Subject-verb agreement at a glance
Present-tense forms of love and try (typical verbs)
| singular | plural | |||
| first person | I | love | we | love |
| second person | you | love | you | love |
| third person | he/she/it* | loves | they** | love |
| singular | plural | |||
| first person | I | try | we | try |
| second person | you | try | you | try |
| third person | he/she/it* | tries | they** | try |
Present-tense forms of have
| singular | plural | |||
| first person | I | have | we | have |
| second person | you | have | you | have |
| third person | he/she/it* | has | they** | have |
Present-tense forms of do (including negative forms)
| singular | plural | |||
| first person | I | do/don’t | we | do/don’t |
| second person | you | do/don’t | you | do/don’t |
| third person | he/she/it* | does/doesn’t | they** | do/don’t |
Present-tense and past-tense forms of be
| singular | plural | |||
| first person | I | am/was | we | are/were |
| second person | you | are/were | you | are/were |
| third person | he/she/it* | is/was | they** | are/were |
*And singular nouns (child, Roger)
**And plural nouns (children, the Mannings)
When to use the -#em#s#/em# (or -#em#es#/em#) form of a present-tense verb
exception: Choosing the correct present-tense form of be (am, is, or are) is not quite so simple. See the chart on the previous page for both present- and past-tense forms of be.
esl tip: Do not use the -s form of a verb if it follows a modal verb such as can, must, or should or another helping verb. (See 28c.)