He, she, it: the third-person -s
Add -s, -es or -ies with he, she and it — and learn the spelling and pronunciation rules.
In this lesson you will
- Add -s to verbs after he / she / it
- Use the spelling rules -es and -ies
- Use has, does and goes correctly
Learn
In positive sentences, he / she / it (and one person or thing: my mum, the shop) take verb + -s: she works, he lives, it rains, my dad cooks.
Spelling:
- after s, sh, ch, x, o add -es: watch → watches, wash → washes, go → goes, do → does, fix → fixes
- consonant + y → -ies: study → studies, fly → flies (but vowel + y: play → plays, buy → buys)
- irregular: have → has
Pronunciation: /s/ (works, sleeps), /z/ (plays, lives), /ɪz/ (watches, washes, fixes).
Remember: in negatives and questions the -s moves to does: She works → She doesn’t work → Does she work?
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| + s | work → works, play → plays |
| s, sh, ch, x, o + es | watch → watches, go → goes |
| consonant + y → ies | study → studies |
| irregular | have → has |
Examples
- My mother teaches maths.
- He goes to work by bus.
- She studies medicine.
- It has four bedrooms.
- The shop closes at eight.
Vocabulary
teach
give lessons
“She teaches maths.”
wash
clean with water
“He washes the car.”
fly
move through the air
“The plane flies to Rome.”
buy
get something with money
fix
repair
“He fixes computers.”
medicine
the study of health and illness
Practice
She ___ in a school.
Speaking
Describe a friend’s day using he or she: “My friend Ana gets up at seven. She has breakfast…”. Say at least six sentences.
Writing
Write about the daily routine of someone in your family (8 sentences), using he or she.
Lesson quiz
The baby ___ a lot.
Review
Key points
- he / she / it: verb + s.
- s/sh/ch/x/o + es (goes, watches); consonant + y → ies (studies).
- have → has.
- Negatives and questions: doesn’t / does + base verb.
What you learned
- ✓ I can use the third-person -s.
- ✓ I can spell -es and -ies forms.
- ✓ I can describe someone else’s routine.
Grammar reference: Present simple