Here are some simple rules for you to follow: Plural endings or 3rd person singular present tense verb ending: (1) Say it as /z/ if the noun or verb ends in a vowel sound or one of the following sounds: /b/, /d/, /g/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /v/, ‘ng’ sound as in ‘song’, ‘th’ sound as in ‘bathe’. (You should feel vibration if you put your hand on your throat when you make these sounds.) (2) Say it as /s/ if the noun or verb ends in one of the following sounds: /f/, /k/, /p/, /t/, ‘th’ sound as in ‘month’. (3) Say it as /iz/ if the noun or verb ends in one of the following sounds: /z/, /s/, ‘sh’ sound as in ‘dish’, ‘ch’ sound as in ‘match’, the final sound of ‘orange’. Past tense verb endings: (1) Say it as /d/ if the verb ends in a vowel sound or one of the following sounds: /b/, /g/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /v/, /z/, ‘ng’ sound as in ‘bang’, ‘th’ sound as in ‘bathe’, the final sound of ‘judge’. (You should feel vibration if you put your hand on your throat when you make these sounds.) (2) Say it as /t/ if the verb ends in one of the following sounds: /f/, /k/, /p/, /s/, ‘ch’ sound as in ‘touch’, ‘sh’ sound as in ‘push’, ‘th’ sound as in ‘bath’ (3) Say it as /id/, if the verb ends in the /d/ or /t/ sound. If you know the phonetic symbols, you can look up the pronunciation of a noun or verb in a dictionary. Look at the final sound of the word and you will know how to say its plural or past tense ending. |