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 ©
