I care or I cares

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

I once heard this phrases. “I also cares” or " I cares." I know it is sound so awkward that is why i want to make sure if I am right.

  1. He + verb + s
  2. She + verb + s
  3. They + Verb (based form)

should I follow the I pron with a verb with s?

or stay with based the form?

for instance, I care/ not I cares.

2

Never ever use I + verb + s - this is completely wrong, and no native speaker in his right mind would ever say such thing.
I care- is the only correct form

3

Hi Robmars,

“I verb-s” such as “I cares” can be found in many books, used in conversations between not well-educated people who could be native speakers as far as I know. But it is certainly not correct English. I won’t say never because there are legitimate cases such as: I is the English letter after H. However, when I is used to refer to oneself as speaker or writer, it should be followed by a verb without “s”.

4

I assume you are speaking of books written/published by non British/American companies, Haihao? I’ve never seen that in print. I believe that even native speakers who aren’t well educated tend to get that particular example right, unless they are deliberately choosing to get it wrong to appear ‘cute’, in this sort of way:
“No one cares about me.”
“Awwwww, I cares!”

5

Maybe I am too old fashioned, BN. However, I won’t take a book written/published by non British/American companies as an English book (very much for fear of my Japanese English) :), and actually I haven’t read anything in English published outside the UK and the US. (I’m sorry to other English speaking countries) :slight_smile: One example among many is, if my mamory does not betray me, say, the famous Gone with the Wind. You can hear the nanny of Scarlett say this way as much as you like. I am just sharing a possibility… Others such as works by Mark Twain…(don’t get me wrong: I mean the characters in his books said this way…) But please not make me provide evidence this time, becasue I have no such time and write this offhand provided my memory is faithful. Anybody interested please check it up by him/herself.

Ah, just one more: Me thinks. I like it, though. :slight_smile:

6

I haven’t read ‘Gone with the Wind’ or much Twain, but as they are American literature Twain is likely to be set in the ‘Deep South’ (as is GWTW) perhaps it is the dialect of those particular regions then.
You make it sound as if I’m going to tie you up and thrash you to within an inch of your life if you don’t provide evidence! :smiley:

By the way, i would imagine that your approach to which books you will read is very wise.

7

Oh, no! I just expected it self-evident. :slight_smile:

8

I’ll let you off the hook, this time, my friend! :-)))) LOL

9

Thank you guys. Yeah I know about it. I never used such phrase like that too. I just want to make sure. No, I didn’t read a book has that phrase. I only heard that from a native speaker. Maybe he just mistakenly uttered it due to normal conversation. :slight_smile: