After a sibilant (s, ss, c, sh, tch, ch, g, dg, x, z) or a vowel not preceded by a vowel, -es is added instead of -s: (e pronounced) passes, pushes, lunches, rages, dodges, relaxes, dozes; (e silent) goes, does, but tiptoes, taboos. Final y remains y after a vowel before the ending, but when preceded by a consonant becomes ie: 'He plays,' but 'He cries.'
Before the participial end ing-ing, however, final y always remains y: crying. In words in which a silent e follows a sibilant, as in splice, singe, pledge, we add only -s, but we pronounce es: splices, singes, pledges.
An e at the end of a verb is dropped before a vowel in the ending: love, but loving. Notice, however, that we irregularly write dyeing (from dye to distinguish it from dying, from die), singeing (from singe to distinguish it from singing, from sing), tingeing (from tinge to distinguish it from tinging, from ting), canoeing, hoeing, shoeing, etc. Verbs in -ie drop e and change i to y before ing: tying from tie; lying from lie.
A final consonant preceded by an accented short vowel is doubled before a vowel in the ending: shop, but shopping, shopped; gas, but gassing, gasses, gassed; quiz, but quizzing, quizzes, quizzed; whiz, but whizzing, whizzes, whizzed.
The present participle, infinitive, and gerund are not confined to reference to present time. The situation indicates the time: 'the rising sun' (present time). 'My train starts at six, arriving (future time) in Chicago at ten.' 'Hearing (past time) voices I stopped and listened.' 'I came late, arriving (past time) after all the others.' 'I expect to arrive (future) late.' 'He was very foolish to do (past time) it' (= It was very foolish that he did it). After finishing (with the force of a present tense After I finish) my work, I go to bed.' 'After finishing (or having finished After I had finished) my work, I went to bed.'
The old forms for the second and third persons are now used only in poetry and biblical lan guage. The usual old ending for the second person singular is -est for full verbs and -st for auxiliaries: 'thou helpest,' 'thou walkest,' 'thou runněst' (doubling a final consonant after a short vowel); 'thou mayst', 'thou canst', 'thou hast', 'thou dost', etc. But be, shall, will, have the old ending -t: 'thou art', 'thou shalt', 'thou wilt'.
In popular speech, the last consonant in the stem of the imperative is often assimilated to the m of the following me: 'Gimme (for give me) a bite.' 'Lemme (for let me) see it.'
