Grammar Study Guide: Words ending in -ed or -ing

Because both suffixes –ed and –ing start with vowels, there are some rules that we must follow when adding them to the ends of base words.

If the word ends with a silent e, then you drop the e and then add –ed or –ing.

Examples: hope becomes hoped or hoping, store becomes stored or storing

If the word ends with a consonant and then y, change the y to i and then add the suffix –ed. When adding –ing, you leave the y as it is. Note: all words that we're adding these suffixes to are verbs. Also notice that we do something similar with words ending with ie. When adding –ed, drop the final e and add the suffix. When adding –ing, drop the final e and change the y to i.

Examples: study becomes studied or studying, try becomes tried or trying, die becomes died or dying, lie becomes lied or lying

If the word ends with a consonant, there a couple of different rules to follow.

1) If the word ends with a consonant, and has a short vowel, double the final consonant and then add the suffix. Most of these words are just one syllable long.

Examples: hop becomes hopped or hopping, skip becomes skipped or skipping, control becomes controlled or controlling, submit becomes submitted or submitting

Of course, if the verb already ends in a double vowel, then you just add the suffix, so that kiss becomes kissed or kissing.

There is one important exception to this rule. If the verb ends with an x, then just add the suffix.

Examples: mix becomes mixed or mixing, box becomes boxed or boxing

2) If the word ends with a consonant and has two or more syllables, then just add the suffix.

Examples: offer becomes offered or offering, visit becomes visited or visiting