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How Time Flies or Fly’s?

Is it time flies or fly’s? Which one is correct?

There are two meanings for the word “fly.” One is a noun, and the other is a verb which is also an action. Although the usages of both these words have entirely different meanings, the grammar rules for both uses remain the same.

For this article, we are referring to the latter meaning of the word.

How To Use The Phrase

Imagine yourself having a good time with family and friends but when you finally have a chance to look at your watch, it is well after midnight. The expression “how time flies” is used in this context to indicate that you were having a nice time and were unaware of how quickly or how much time had passed.

Simply, you would use this phrase to mean that “time passes by so quickly.”

Examples In A Sentence:

  • Oh, how time flies when you are having fun.
  • It feels like we just started school yesterday. Oh, how time flies!

How Time Flies Or How Time Flys: Which Is Correct?

If you are not a native English speaker or have a strong command of the language, it could be challenging to understand that adding S to the end of a word does not always make it plural. 

The plural form is interpreted differently regarding verbs not ending in the letter Y. For instance, COMES is the plural of COME, but this same rule does not apply to all verbs.

When you take a closer look at this, you will notice that for discover that for most verbs that end with Y, we typically use a group of letters IES to make it plural, rather than just the letter S. 

For example, the plural form of REPLY is REPLIES. 

Here Are A Few Examples:

  • REPLY will become REPLIES

How to use it in a sentence: He REPLIES to messages quickly.

  • Likewise, CRY will become CRIES

How to use it in a sentence: The baby CRIES all the time

Likewise, adding S to the end of the word “fly” and making it “flys” is not considered a term that is used in the English vocabulary. If you try conjugating FLY as a verb into a third-person tense, it changes to FLIES. 

In Conclusion

The correct way to use the expression is how time FLIES. FLYS is an incorrect spelling for the word and hence is not used in English. Many people like to think that the prohibition on using the term is only for aesthetic reasons, so the word looks more appealing. 

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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