Verb Endings That English Learners Keep Dropping: -ED, -S, and -ING

You’re probably great at verb endings in English -- at least on paper! Many English language learners are great when it comes to writing English verb endings, but they tend to get lost while speaking. Sometimes, the spoken endings just…. Disappear. 

This is one of the most common ESL speaking mistakes, so you’re not alone! But these widespread pronunciation mistakes can make it sound like you’re making grammar mistakes, even though you know the grammar really well. Let’s improve English grammar, speaking, and pronunciation!

English Grammar Mistakes: ESL Patterns

For many English language learners, the -ED, -S, and -ING endings are perfect while they’re writing. It’s not grammar errors; English learners often have an issue with verb inflections in English.

Think about verb tenses and subject-verb agreement: English uses verb endings to denote these. So, verb inflections in English depend entirely on your ability to 

Dropping Verb Endings: -ED, -S, and -ING Endings

Three of the most common verb endings in English are also the most often mispronounced or dropped: the past tense -ed ending, the third person singular -s, and the present continuous -ing endings. These English tense markers are crucial for avoiding ESL speaking mistakes.

Pronouncing the Past Tense -ED Ending

The past tense -ED endings don't always sound like “-ed”! Here are the rules for the three different ways to pronounce the past tense -ED ending:

• After voiceless sounds (p, k, f, s, sh, ch), it sounds like “t”: stopped = “stopt,” walked = “walkt,” laughed = “lafT.”

• After voiced sounds (b, g, v, z, m, n, l, r, and all vowels), it sounds like “d”: grabbed = “grabd,” called = “calld,” played = “playd.”

• After T or D sounds, it adds a whole syllable: wanted = “want-id,” needed = “need-id,” decided = “decid-id.”

In the pronunciation of -ED endings, the syllable version is the one most people get right, because you can hear it clearly. The “t” and “d” versions are the ones that get dropped, or else over-emphasized as a new syllable.

Pronouncing the Third Person Singular -S

The -S ending also has three sounds. The three pronunciation rules for the third person singular -S follow the same basic principle:

• After voiceless sounds, it’s “s”: blocks, stops, laughs.

• After voiced sounds, it’s “z”: roars, calls, plays, frees.

• After hissing sounds (s, z, sh, ch, j), it adds a syllable: buzzes = “buzz-iz,” watches = “watch-iz,” judges = “judg-iz.”

The most common mistake is dropping the S sound entirely. Take care to add the -s verb ending, both in your brain and with your mouth!

Pronouncing Present Continuous -ING

The -ING ending is easy to mispronounce. The -ING ending is simpler than other verb endings in English, because it’s always pronounced the same. However, some English learners pronounce it like “een” instead of the strong “ing.” Others may drop the G sound at the end. 

(Of course, many native English speakers do this in casual speech, but dropping English verb endings is too informal for professional settings.)

The -ING sound is nasal. You make it by pressing the back of your tongue against the soft part of your palate at the roof of your mouth. The air should flow through your nose as your vocal chords vibrate. Then, release the tongue with a puff of air to get the final part of the sound. 

Practicing Pronunciation: -ED, -S, and -ING Endings

Let’s practice these verb endings in English. Record yourself for feedback reading this passage, then listen back:

“Yesterday I walked to the office and talked to my colleagues about the projects we finished last week. The teams worked hard, and the results exceeded our goals. We discussed changes and agreed on next steps.”

Listen to your recording, and pay close attention to the pronunciation of -ED endings in these past tense verbs:

1. Walked

2. Talked

3. Finished

4. Worked

5. Exceeded

6. Discussed

7. Agreed  

How was your pronunciation of -ED endings? Are you dropping verb endings?

Listen carefully. The ones after voiceless sounds (walked, talked, finished, worked, discussed) should end in a “t” sound. The vowel after a voiced sound (agreed) should end in a “d” sound. The one after a word ending with D (exceeded) should add a new syllable.

Exaggerate the -ED, -S, and -ING Endings

When practicing, make your English verb endings slightly louder and longer than feels natural. What feels exaggerated to you is probably what native speakers hear as normal. 

After you form a strong habit with these verb endings, it will seem less exaggerated. The goal is to make these endings feel automatic!

For practice with the past tense -ed ending, the third person singular -s, and the present continuous -ing endings, check out the Syranto app. You’ll get immediate feedback and see improvement on the -ED, -S, and -ING endings.

Overall, it’s an issue of fluency vs. accuracy: English relies on those English tense markers, so verb endings in English are the way to help your pronunciation skills catch up with your grammar knowledge!

Syranto listens for English grammar mistakes; ESL users learn exactly which ones get dropped, so they know what to focus on.