Delahunty and Garvey
are describing the pronunciation here, not the spelling.
Spelling
The present tense marker is spelled in a variety of ways, too. If the word ends
in <s, z, sh, ch, x, o>, then it is spelled
xeroxes, echoes, vetoes; if the word ends in a consonant followed immediately
by
spelled : gets, steps.
Meanings
The simple present tense indicates that a state of affairs holds at the time
of utterance. The situation may extend indefinitely far into the past and/or
into the future. All the present tense indicates is that the description applies
at the time of utterance. However, this meaning interacts in interesting ways
with the semantics of the main verb, and the present tense is used conven-
tionally for certain types of contexts and purposes, even when present time
is not intended.
Present tense of state verbs
The present tense interacts semantically with verb class, particularly with
state and activity verbs. We will begin by illustrating the present tense with
state verbs as these are simpler. For example, Jordan is ill merely asserts that
Jordan is ill as the utterance is spoken. He may have been ill for an indefinite
time in the past, he may be ill for an indefinite time in the future, or he may
have just become ill and may recover immediately. We can demonstrate that
the present tense is indifferent to the length of time that a situation lasts by
showing that it is compatible with contradictory adverbials of time. Com-
pare Jordan is ill; he’s been ill for years now and it seems that he’ll be ill for years
to come with Jordan is ill; he got a sudden fever which will disappear as rapidly
as it came.
There are several kinds of state verbs, of which be is the most frequent.
Other state verbs in the present tense are interpreted pretty much as be is,
that is, as denoting a time that extends through the time of utterance and
indefinitely far backwards and forwards. For example:
Relationship verbs:
Leonardo owns a Ferrari 500 F2.
Mia resembles her mother.
Emotion and feeling verbs: