Spelling Rules

Plural nouns Present Simple -ing Past Simple Comparatives and superlative
adjectives
Affirmative declarative sentences Regular Verbs (affirmative)
Third person singular (HE – SHE –
IT)
 Most plural nouns take an  Most verbs take an –s  Most verbs just take –ing  Most regular verbs in the past  One-syllable adjectives usually
–s He visits Pat twice a I can’t stand watching horror films. finish in –ed form the comparative and the
dog – dogs week. I waited for hours yesterday. superlative form with –er and –
pencil - pencils  When one-syllable verbs finish est. The same with two-syllable
 After –s, -x, -ch, -sh and –o, you in one vowel and a consonant  When the verb finishes in –e, adjectives that finish in –er / ow
 After –s, -x, -ch, -sh and add –es (not –y, -w or –x), you double you only add –d. and very short adjectives.
some words finishing in – - She goes to school by bus. the last consonant and add – After the accident, he decided to short – shorter – shortest
o, you add –es ing. (swim – swimming BUT stay. clever – cleverer – cleverest
kiss – kisses - It finishes here. row – rowing). narrow – narrower – narrowest
fax – faxes - She kisses her husband goodnight.  The same happens with two-  When a one-syllable verb quiet – quieter – quietest
church – churches - He watches TV at night. syllable verbs with the stress finishes in a vowel and a
fish – fishes on the last syllable (‘begin– consonant (not –y or –w), you  When a one-syllable adjective
- He fixes cars.
tomato – tomaties beginning’ BUT ‘open – double the last consonant and finishes in –e, you just add –r or
- opening’) add –ed (He stopped bothering –st. The same with two-syllable
 When the noun finishes in  When the verb finishes in a  When the verb finishes in –ie, me.). adjectives that finish in –le.
a consonant before –y, consonant before –y, you omit you omit the last two letters  The same happens with two- free – freer – freest
you omit the –y and add – the –y and add –ies. and add –ying. Stop lying. Tell syllable verbs with the stress gentle – gentler - gentlest
ies. (‘study – studies’ but me the truth (lie – lying) on the last one. (preFER,
fly - flies ‘play – plays’) preferred)  When a one-syllable adjective
 When the noun finishes in He studies Biology.  When the verb finishes in one – finishes in one vowel and one
– f or -fe, you omit these e, you omit the –e and add –  When the verb finishes in a consonant (not –y, -w or –x),
letters and add –ves. ing. This doesn’t happen when consonant before –y, you omit you double the last consonant
wife – wives the verb finishes in double –e the –y and add –ied. before –er or –est.
wolf - wolves (‘take – taking’ but ‘see – (study – studied) big – bigger - biggest
seeing’) Today I’m moving into We studied a lot yesterday.  When a one-syllable or two-
a new house. syllable adjective finishes in
 In British English the verbs that consonant and –y, you omit the
 In British English the verbs that finish in –l take double –l last –y and add –ier or –iest.
finish in –l take take double –l before the -ed sunny – sunnier – sunniest
in the –ing form I travelled to Ireland two years shy – shier - shiest
I’m travelling next Friday. ago.

Vanessa Bain ©