We add -ing to show something is happening now: jump, jumping. We add -ed to show it happened before: jump, jumped.
Watch out for short words with one vowel and one last letter, like hop and run. Double the last letter before -ing: hopping, running. This keeps the vowel sound short. Hoping (with one p) is a different word!
Most verbs are easy: walk becomes walking and walked, and play becomes playing and played. Only the short ones with one vowel need the double letter.
Worked example
Add -ing to “sit”.
- Sit is short: one vowel (i) and one last letter (t).
- Double the t, then add -ing.
Answer:sitting
Key words
- suffix
- letters added to the end of a word
- double
- write the letter twice
- vowel
- the letters a, e, i, o, u
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.1.4c