Anybody see

[tufguy]

Anybody see him?

Nobody move a muscle.

We use verbs with s at the end when talking about third person. Are these sentences correct? If yes then, please tell where to use verb without s while talking about third person.

 

[kilroy65]

"Anybody see him?" -> "Does/Can anybody see him?"

"Nobody move a muscle." sounds like a command, an imperative sentence. An exclamation mark would be more appropriate than a period.

 

[tufguy]

Please tell me how to know when we have to use verbs without "s".

 

[allenman]

"Anybody see him?" -- this is correct. Either in present or past tense. Why? I can tell you as a native speaker that we use "anybody" as a collective noun to imply "we". It is never used as "Anybody sees" as in 3rd person singular.

Hope that helps
"not a teacher, but I am native expert speaker"

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

The OP has already received excellent answers. I only wanted to expand a bit on the topic, for I am sure that many learners find this matter rather confusing.

I have made up two sentences:

1. Everybody stands up when the Queen enters the room.
2. Everybody stand up when I enter!''

As you, dear learners, can see, #1 uses "s" (the indicative) because it is a fact: Everyone DOES stand up whenever Her Majesty comes into a room.

In #2, however, that is NOT a fact. It means something like: "I demand that everyone stand up when I enter the room." It is NOT a fact. It is only my demand or wish. So we do NOT use the "s." (We use the so-called subjunctive form.)

*****

I have found an explanation from a world-famous scholar. It has really helped me. I am delighted to share it.

Look at his example:


Oh, please, someone go in and tell her."

That scholar says this: "Any imperative [command] is virtually [actually] in the second person ["you"], even if [it is] seemingly addressed [said] to a 'third person' [such as "someone"]."

In other words, the scholar says (that) that sentence actually means something like: "Oh, please, one of you present, go in and tell her."


-- Otto Jespersen, Essentials of English Grammar (1933), page 148.

 

[tufguy]

Okay when it's a kind of order or request then we don't use s for third person. Got it.