Grammar s at the end of a word

What do you think does it mean when you hear someone saying, “I like pig!” or “I like dog!”?

This can mean only one thing: this person likes the taste of pigs or dogs! That’s what happens when you miss the “S” at the end of a noun when it should be there. The sentence has a completely different meaning. But when you say,

“I love pigs.”

“I love dogs.”

this means you like these animals as pets and you enjoy having them or playing with them. These are also grammatically correct compared to the first two sentences. Today, we will learn when to use “S” at the end of your words to convey the proper meaning of your sentences.

When you say “I like chicken!” that tells me you love eating chicken meat! If you say, “I like chickens”, this means you love having them as pets. When you enjoy pet chickens, cats or horses, always put your “S” at the end.

It will help a lot to remember these simple rules when using “S”:

RULE 1: Always use “S” with countable nouns when it’s plural

Always use “S” with countable nouns when it’s plural. So let’s review. What are countable and uncountable nouns?

Countable nouns (or count nouns) are those that refer to something that can be counted. They have both plural and singular forms, examples girl/girls, apple/apples, cat/cats, house/houses, etc. In the singular form, the article A or AN comes before them.

Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They are names for ideas, qualities, or physical objects that are too small or too big to be counted. Examples are liquid, powder, gases, etc. Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb.

Related Article: When to Use the Article THE with Uncountable Nouns

Chad: WOW! So you have a lot of guests coming for Thanksgiving dinner. How many people do you expect?

Kim:  We expect 53 person.

So, Kim’s answer is wrong because “person” is a countable noun, and since it’s more than one (plural), you put an S there: persons.

Cashier: This pie costs 17 dollars.

Tim: Don’t worry, I have 20 dollar.

Again, in this scenario, Tim is wrong. Dollar is a currency and can be counted. So better to put an S there as well: dollars.

RULE 2: If you only have one of something countable, you don’t need the S

If you only have one of something countable, you don’t need the S. So with singular countable nouns, there’s no need to add the S.

Example:

• I have one dollar.
• She has a car.
• They have a brown horse.
• My uncle owns one boat and two cabins.

Only ONE dollar, ONE car, ONE horse, and ONE boat. So there’s no need to add an S.

RULE 3: Use S with several, a lot of, and many

This time, learn how to use S with several, a lot of, and many.

Related Article: Quantifiers: How to Properly Use ‘Much’, ‘Many’, and ‘A Lot of’

Several, a lot, and many are adjectives that give more information about the noun that comes after them. They determine the amount of something. They mean more than one. So, when using these adjectives, you need the plural form of the noun, and so you must put the S at the end.

Wrong: There are several trophy on the shelf.

Correct: There are several trophies on the shelf.

Let’s break it down here:

are = plural verb

several = more than one

trophies = plural noun / more than one

Wrong: I have a lot of cat.

Correct: I have a lot of cats.

Wrong: This town has many hot spring.

Correct: This town has many hot springs.

Wrong: My city has many bridge.

Correct: My city has many bridges.

At this point, let me just mention that TOO MANY has an entirely different connotation. Although you can use TOO MANY to describe more than one countable noun, using this shows a negative meaning. This means you don’t like the noun or that something.

Examples: 

• There are TOO many birds in the house.
• There are TOO many chili peppers in the pizza.
• There are TOO many boxes in the garage.

So remember that many, several, and a lot are used to express something positive.

RULE 4: Use S for singular verbs

Use S for singular verbs.

English grammar rule says that a singular verb always has an S.

Example:

• She EATS bananas.
• He RUNS very fast.
• The old man DRINKS two cups of tea every morning.

Now, there is one group of pronouns which can be confusing to use:

• no one
• nobody
• everyone
• everybody
• anyone
• anybody
• someone
• somebody

They all mean exactly the same: ONE person that has no specific name. Since each of these is singular pronoun, then your verb must have an S.

So for the pronouns listed above, they always go with singular verbs. For instance, you can say,

• Nobody likes a dirty bed.
• No one likes the smell of durian.
• Everyone in the house loves chocolates!
• Everybody in the class enjoys dancing.

Notice that likes, loves, and enjoys are all singular forms of the verb, so there’s an S at the end.  Here is where the grammar rule for subject-verb agreement comes in:

When it’s a singular noun/pronoun, use singular verbs. Singular verbs ALWAYS have an S.

As a side note, another thing to remember: always use the singular helping verb HAS when using these pronouns.  For example:

• no one has…
• nobody has…
• everyone has…
• everybody has…
• anyone has…
• anybody has…
• someone has…
• somebody has…

HAVE is reserved for plural usages. So just a quick review, helping verbs include:

Singular Plural

• am are
• is are
• was were
• has have
• had had

This is for an entirely different grammar topic.  But for now, just remember that we always use HAS for singular pronouns. So example, you can say:

• No one has seen the bear hiding in the bushes.
• Someone has arrived at the door late at night.
• Everybody has an ID.

What are HELPING VERBS?

Helping verbs help a MAIN verb express an action. Most of the time, verbs can stand on their own, but sometimes they need help to express an action or a state.

Example:

The park has opened.

opened = main verb

has =  helps “opened” to express the state

A helping verb is always JUST BEFORE the main verb. Other examples are:

• They are laughing. (are = helping Verb, laughing = main Verb)
• The seagull is flying. (is = helping V, flying = main V)
• Dean is driving. (is = helping V, driving = main V)
• Someone is laughing. (is = helping V, laughing = main V)
• Somebody is driving a blue car. (is =helping V, driving = main V)

Helping verb is easy to spot! We use them all the time!

So, remember to use your S when it should be there, and don’t add it when it shouldn’t be there. This way, you’ll avoid errors in your sentences.

Related Articles:

• When to Use “TO” Properly in English?
• What’s the Difference Between “With” and “By”?
• Confusing Words in English
• How to Use the Subjunctive Mood: Wish
• What’s the Difference Between TO and FOR in English?

• Beginner
• Grammar
• Helping verbs
• High Beginner

1. -s at the end of English words and their meanings

1.1. Plural form of a noun

There are two books on the desk.

Drop the s and you’ll get book. This is a noun. → plural of the nouns

1.2. Simple Present – 3rd person singular

John likes football.

Drop the s and you’ll get like. This is a verb. → Simple Present

1.3. Apostrophe ‘s

• Have you seen Lisa‘s schoolbag?
• Here is Charles‘s book.
• The girls‘ room is nice.

see Genitiv -s/Apostrophe

If you use the short/contracted form for is, you’ll get ‘s → He is in the kitchen. → He‘s in the kitchen.

2. Other words ending in -s

These are words ending in -s or -ss, e.g.

• always
• as
• bus
• chaos
• circus
• famous
• nervous
• perhaps
• tennis
• this
• us
• yes

and

• across
• actress
• address
• class
• cross
• discuss
• dress
• glass
• guess
• kiss
• less
• Miss
• pass
• press

If you drop the -s you will not get an English word.

Examples:

• tennis → tenni is not an English word
• dress → dre is not an English word

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How to show Plurality in Count Nouns

In English, “-s” is often added to the end of a noun or verb. This page will demonstrate five different situations that require an “S.”

You need to show plurality when talking about more than one or speaking in general terms about all of the items in one category.

Adding “S” to Show Plurality (more than one)

This person is reading more than one book. Therefore, it is necessary to add “s” to the end of the word “books.”

Adding “S” to Show Generality

If you are referring to a general rule, or are speaking about ALL of the items in one category (all trees, all computers, all schools), then you must add “S.” Also, remember not to use “the” in front of the plural noun when you are referring to a general category.

For present tense subject/verb agreement

Add “S” on the end of a verb in present tense to agree with the singular “he,” “she,” or “it” subject.

Adding “S” for Subject/Verb Agreement

This sentence is in the present tense. John is a “he” subject, so the verb, “sit” must add “s” to agree with “he.”

This sentence also expresses repeated action. We know that John always sits in the front row, and he always hates sitting there.

Adding “S” for Subject/Verb Agreement

Mary is a “she” subject. Therefore you need to add “s” to the verbs “love” and “eat” so the subject and verb agree.

This sentence is in present tense and is expressing something that is always true.

Adding “S” for Subject/Verb Agreement

“My computer” is an “it” subject, so the verbs “break” and “frustrate” need to add “s” to agree.

This sentence is in the present tense and is expressing a repeated action.

How to Show Singular Possession

Add Apostrophe-S to Show Possession

This sentence is referring to something that someone owns. The ‘s means the computer belongs to John.

Add Apostrophe-S to Show Possession

This sentence describes whose house burned down. The ‘s shows us that it was the house that belonged to Mary.

Add Apostrophe-S to Show Possession

This sentence compares the rooms occupied by two different people. The ‘s indicates that one room is owned by my brother, while the other is owned by my sister.

How to Show Plural Possession

Using S-Apostrophe to Show Possession

This sentence is comparing the two rooms used by the boys and the girls. Since the words boys and girls are already plural, the apostrophe is added after the “s” to show possession.

Using S-Apostrophe to Show Possession

Once again, notice the plural noun, students, uses “s” followed by an apostrophe to show possession.

Using S-Apostrophe to Show Possession

The name, Myles, always ends in “s” even though it is singular. This means that when you want to show possession with the name Myles, you need to add the apostrophe after the “s.”

For all proper nouns ending in “s,” it is accepted to add ‘s (Myles’s homework).

Using S-Apostrophe to Show Possession

Again, the proper noun, Les, always ends in “s.” Notice the apostrophe is added after the “s”.

How to Indicate a Contraction

Using Apostrophe-S for IT’S

“It’s” is simply a shorter way of saying “it is.” Several other words are commonly used with ‘s to show a contraction. For example, who’s, what’s, where’s, there’s, he’s, she’s, etc.

Whether to use an additional s with singular possession can still be a source of heated debate. This review will help to resolve some of the questions surrounding that subject.

Rule 1: Many common nouns end in the letter s (lens, cactus, bus, etc.). So do a lot of proper nouns (Mr. Jones, Texas, Christmas). There are conflicting policies and theories about how to show possession when writing such nouns. There is no right answer; the best advice is to choose a formula and stay consistent.

Some writers and editors add ’s to every proper noun, be it Hastings’s or Jones’s. There also are a few who add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s; however, this method is typically rare, and not recommended here.

One method, common in newspapers and magazines, is to add an apostrophe plus s (’s) to common nouns ending in s, but only a stand-alone apostrophe to proper nouns ending in s.

Examples:
the class’s hours
Mr. Jones’ golf clubs
The canvas’s size
Texas’ weather

Another widely used technique, the one we favor, is to write the word as we would speak it. For example, since most people saying “Mr. Hastings’ pen” would not pronounce an added s, we would write Mr. Hastings’ pen with no added s. On the other hand, most people would pronounce an added s in “Jones’s,” so we’d write it as we say it: Mr. Jones’s golf clubs. This method explains the punctuation of for goodness’ sake.

Rule 2: To show plural possession of a word ending in an s or s sound, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe.

Examples:
the classes’ hours
the Joneses’ car
guys’ night out
two actresses’ roles

Pop Quiz

Place the apostrophe (and perhaps an s) where appropriate.

1. The classes opinions were predictable according to their grade levels.
2. The boss suit was brand new.
3. The bus steering wheel was wearing out.
4. The Crosses dog bit the mailman.
5. We understand Lagos airport handled over one million passengers last year.
6. The Smiths boat sank.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. The classes’ opinions were predictable according to their grade levels.
2. The boss’s suit was brand new.
3. The bus’s steering wheel was wearing out.
4. The Crosses’ dog bit the mailman.
5. We understand Lagos’s (OR Lagos’) airport handled over one million passengers last year.
6. The Smiths’ boat sank.

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If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the «Comment» box at the bottom of this page.

The pronunciation of S at the end of plural nouns, verbs in third person and as a part of the possessive case sometimes causes problems for non-native speakers because it can be pronounced in three different ways: / ɪz /, / s / or / z /.

A voiced consonant (or sound) means that it uses the vocal cords and they produce a vibration or humming sound in the throat when they are said. Put your finger on your throat and then pronounce the letter L. You will notice a slight vibration in your neck / throat. That is because it is a voiced sound.

A voiceless sound (sometimes called unvoiced sound) is when there is no vibration in your throat and the sound comes from the mouth area. Pronounce the letter P. You will notice how it comes from your mouth (in fact near your lips at the front of your mouth). The P sound doesn’t come from your throat.

Try this with the other letters and you will “feel” the difference between a voiced and a voiceless consonant (or sound).

The pronunciation of the final S in plural words and verbs in the third person depend on the final consonant sound before that S.

The ending is pronounced /s/ after a voiceless sound,
It is pronounced /z/ after a voiced sound and
It is pronounced /ɪz / or /əz/ after a sibilant sound:

Voiceless: helps /ps/ — sits /ts/ — looks /ks/

Voiced: crabs /bz/ — words /dz/ — gloves /vz/,

Sibilant: buses /S/ɪz /, bridges /d/iz/ , wishes /shɪz /

Enjoy the lesson!

How do you pronounce the S at the end of words in English?

In English there are many words that end in S. There are plural nouns (e.g. cups, days, nurses), there are verbs in third person that end in S (e.g. speaks, loves, washes etc.) and there is often an S when we use the possessive case (John’s car, Mary’s cat)

Did you know that there are three different ways to pronounce the S at the end of a word in English?

Here we have created a simple chart to explain the difference:

If you would a longer explanation, see our grammar notes about the Pronunciation of S at the end of words in English.

Between the two options posed, «(s)» is more correct, because a «/» in other uses as grammatical shorthand roles commonly corresponds closely to “or” or “orand” (as in, e.g., «Bring all signed/dated documents»), otherwise as “with” or “and/plus” (as in, e.g., «frenchfries /ketchup»); whereas «[noun]/s» does not mean “[noun] {or/andor/and/with/plus} s”—not that, given context, there would be any (extended )confusion, but there is a more defendable option (such as separating the indeterminate pluralizing ‘s’ with parentheses). There is a minor downside to opting for «(s)» over «/s»: an extra ASCII character and slightly longer width (though still far shorter than stating fully both options spelled out as in, i.e., «document/documents»).

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addendum:

A compromise outside confines of plain-text is to combine both, «(/s)», but with the parentheses shrunk slightly; this would be only marginally longer than «/s» (but shorter than «(s)») and convey more explicit+accurate meaning than either of the other options by its respective self. «/s» is the absolute shortest (for the case of simple «add an s» pluralizations), and in many fontfaces «()» can stand-out more than intended outside of its primary use (as an aside, such as in this-here parenthetical comment), but the point remains that the forward-slash has many other uses that are similar enough to the «[singular]/s» use as to obscure syntactical precision whereas the ‘other’ uses for «(..)» are more disparate as not to alow any confusion. In general, relation of «A/B» means relation of [taking the same two inputs as ] «AB» as in “A without B”↦“A with/and/../.. B” in which the more precise particular translation depends upon context (similar to ‘or’ in «A or B»), which makes sense considering the antonymous names of the symbols (forwardslash as contrasted to backslash). On the other hand, (..) directly after some word without any space-separation typically (when used properly) indicates some semantic diversion upon that word itself (in the case of «(s)», to indeterminitize its grammatical number).