Spelling of verbs and Nouns Ending in Spelling of Verbs Ending in Spelling of verbs Ending in -s and -es -ing -ed
Spelling of Verbs and Nouns Ending in -s and -es
These spelling rules apply to verbs and nouns ending in -s and -es:
| For most third-person singular verbs and plural nouns, add -s to the simple form: | |
| Verbs | Nouns |
| swim ---- swims | lake ---- lakes |
| If the simple form ends with the letters s, z, sh, ch, or x, add -es: |
| Verbs Nouns |
| miss — misses box — boxes |
| If the simple form ends with a consonant + y, change y to i and add -es: |
| Verbs Nouns |
| try — tries baby — babies (Compare vowel + y: obey — obeys, toy — toys.) |
| If the simple form ends with a consonant + o, add -s or -es. Some words take: | ||
| s | es | Both -s and -es |
|
Auto—autos
photo — photos piano — pianos solo — solos |
do — does echo — echoes go — goes hero — heroes potato — potatoes tomato — tomatoes |
tornado — tornados/tornadoes Volcano
— volcanos/volcanoes zero — zeros/zeroes |
| If the simple form ends in a single "f " or in "fe", change the "f " or "fe" to "v" and add -es: | |
|
calf — calves shelf — shelves |
Exceptions knife — knives, belief — beliefs, hoof — hoots/hooves, chief -chiefs, roof — roofs, scarf — scarfs/scarves |
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Spelling of Verbs Ending in -ing [top] These spelling rules are for adding -ing to verbs: For most verbs, add -ing to the simple form of the verb: |
|
| sleep sleeping talk — talking | |
| If the simple form ends in a single e, drop the e and add —ing: | |
| live — living write — writing | |
| If the simple form ends in je, change i.e. to y and add -ing: | |
| die — dying lie — lying | |
| If the simple form of a one-syllable verb ends with a single vowel + final consonant, double the consonant, and add -ing: | |
| hit— hitting stop —stopping (Compare two vowels + consonant: eat — eating.) | |
| If the simple form of a verb with two or more syllables ends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant only if the stress is on the final syllable. Do not double the final consonant if the stress is not on the final syllable: | |
|
admit — admitting begin — beginning develop — developing listen — listening |
The final "l" is always doubled in British English
, but not in American English: travel — travelling (British) travel — traveling (American) |
| Do not double the final consonants x, w,and y: | |
| fix — fixing plow — plowing obey — obeying | |
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Spelling of Verbs Ending in —ed [top ] These spelling rules are for adding -ed to verbs: To form the simple past and past participle of most regular verbs, add -ed to the simple form: |
|
| brush — brushed play — played | |
| If the simple form ends with -e, just add -d: | |
| race— raced trade —traded | |
| If the simple form ends with a consonant + y, change the y to i and add -ed: | |
| bury —buried dry — dried (Compare vowel + y: play — played, enjoy — enjoyed.) | |
| If the simple form of a one-syllable verb ends with a single vowel + consonant double the final consonant and add -ed: | |
| plan — planned stop — stopped | |
| If the simple form of a verb with two or more syllables ends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add -ed only when the stress is on the final syllable. Do not double the final consonant if the stress is not on the final syllable: | |
|
prefer — preferred enter — entered |
The final "1" is always doubled in British English, but not in American English: travel travelled (British) trave traveled (American) |
| Do not double the final consonants x, w, and y: | |
| coax — coaxed snow — snowed stay — stayed | |
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