Simple Present: Pronunciation of the 'es' ending - Theory & Exercise

3. Pronunciation of the 'es' ending
A syllable is a unit of pronunciation, usually consisting of a vowel sound which may or may not be accompanied by consonants.

When a verb ends in a sibilant sound such as ch, s, sh, x or z, the es ending of the third person singular is pronounced as a separate syllable. The reason for this is that these sounds are so similar to the sound of the es ending, that the ending must be pronounced as a separate syllable in order to be heard clearly.

In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists of two syllables.

Bare Infinitive	Third Person Singular
pass	passes
push	pushes
catch	catches
mix	mixes

Similarly, when s is added to verbs ending in ce, ge, se or ze, the final es is usually pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists
of two syllables.

Bare Infinitive	Third Person Singular
race	races
rage	rages
praise	praises
doze	dozes

However, when s is added to a verb ending in e preceded by a letter
other than c, g, s or z, the final es is not pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples, both the bare infinitive and the form of the verb used in the third person singular consist of one syllable.

Bare Infinitive	Third Person Singular
make	makes
smile	smiles
dine	dines
save	saves

For each of the following verbs, underline the letter or letters representing the sound preceding the es ending, and then indicate the number of syllables in the verb. For example:
      wishes __
      wishes 2

      laces __
      laces 2

      takes __
      takes 1


Answers:
1. watches 2
2. teases 2
3. likes 1
4. rushes 2
5. faces 2
6. dines 1
7. misses 2
8. tames 1
9. scares 1
10. passes 2
11. pinches 2
12. wades 1