Third person verbs and plural nouns (with some exceptions), usually end with the letter S. The final S can have three different sounds: /s/, /z/, /iz/.
| final sound is high | s | c, f, gh, k, p, t, th (f) |
| ‘es’ | iz | s, x, z, ch, sh |
| final sound is low | z | a, b, d, g, i, l, m, n, o, r, u, v, w, y, th (v) |
Try to say the words below with the correct “final S sound.”
S
bikes
likes
hikes
looks
books
cooks
lips
laps
loops
claps
naps
sleeps
pets
nets
bats
cats
hats
hearts
parts
starts
kits
knots
cuts
cliffs
cloths
lofts
lifts
rifts
baths
paths
laughs
tasks
flasks
desks
risks
lasts
masts
tests
nests
rests
crests
lists
wrists
posts
hosts
boasts
toasts
roasts
coasts
gusts
crusts
trusts
thrusts
IZ
kisses
misses
bosses
businesses
mixes
fixes
remixes
buzzes
watches
touches
churches
reaches
teaches
peaches
beaches
washes
brushes
pushes
rushes
crushes
crashes
banishes
lavishes
Z
as
abs
adds
dads
pads
words
worlds
shoes
toes
eggs
legs
pegs
lungs
calls
pulls
sells
smells
dreams
teams
streams
ice-creams
laser-beams
bans
fans
pens
pins
puns
runs
doors
floors
wears
bears
letters
storytellers
remembers
loves
doves
drives
hives
gives
lives
draws
laws
claws
plays
prays
trays
stays
bodies
hobbies
symphonies
Step 2: Practice saying the pairs of words below. Pay attention to the final sound – s or z.
| ice | eyes |
| price | prize |
| bus | buzz |
| niece | knees |
| sap | zap |
| sip | zip |
| sue | zoo |
| place | plays |
| race | rays |
| trace | trays |
| loose | lose |
Step 3: Ask and answer the following questions.
If you are working with a partner, listen careful to each other and tell each other every time they make a mistake.
Avoid using ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers – talk about your answer.
Questions
1) What colour are your eyes? What colour eyes do you like?
2) What are your favourite smells?
3) Do you prefer; hot coffee or iced coffee; hot tea or iced tea?
4) What is the price of a coffee? What is the price of love?
5) Have you ever won a prize? What is the prize of love?
6) Do you have any nieces or nephews?
7) Do you have any brothers or sisters?
8) How do you feel when you lose a game of something?
9) Have you ever been to a zoo? What do you think about zoos?
10) Have you ever forgotten to zip your trousers, jeans or shorts?
