The spelling of endings A Plural nouns We add s to a noun to form the plural.

a car > two cars a name > some names 1 After s, sh, ch and x we add es /iz/. glass > glasses dish > dishes match > matches box > boxes 2 A few nouns ending in o have es. heroes potatoes tomatoes But most have s. discos kilos photos pianos radios stereos studios zoos 3 When a noun ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to ies. penny > pennies story > stories We do not change y after a vowel. day > days journey > journeys B The present simple s ending In the third person singular, a present simple verb ends in s. (See Unit 5B.) I know > he knows I work > she works 1 After s, sh, ch and x we add es /iz/. pass > passes wash > washes catch > catches mix > mixes 2 Some verbs ending in o have es. go > goes do > does 3 When a verb ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to ies. hurry --> hurries copy > copies We do not change y after a vowel. stay > stays enjoy > enjoys C The ed ending Most verbs have ed in the past tense. (See Unit 8B.) Most past participles also end in ed. (See Unit 1 IB.) look --> looked call -> called 1 If the verb ends in e, we add d. hope > hoped save >saved 2 When a verb ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to ied. hurry > hurried copy > copied 3 Sometimes we double a final consonant. This happens when a one-syllable verb ends with one vowel and one consonant, e.g. beg, plan. beg > begged plan > planned For more details about doubling, see G. D The ing-form

1 We normally leave out e when we add ing to a verb. take > taking drive > driving But we keep a double e before ing. see > seeing agree > agreeing 2 When a verb ends in ie, it changes to ying. die > dying lie > lying But y does not change. hurry > hurrying 3 Sometimes we double a final consonant. This happens when a one-syllable verb ends with one vowel and one consonant, e.g. win, put. win > winning put --> putting For more details about doubling, see G. E Adverbs We form many adverbs from an adjective + ly. slow > slowly calm > calmly 1 We do not leave out e before ly. safe > safely strange --> strangely But there are a few exceptions. due > duly true > truly whole > wholly 2 When an adjective ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to ily. angry > angrily happy > happily An exception is shy --> shyly. 3 When an adjective ends in a consonant + le, the e changes to y. probable > probably sensible > sensibly 4 When an adjective ends in ic, we add ally. automatic > automatically romantic --> romantically But there is one exception. public > publicly F The comparison of adjectives We form the comparative and superlative of short adjectives with er and est. See Unit 110. old > older, oldest quick > quicker, quickest 1 If the adjective ends in e, we add r and st. late > later, latest fine > finer, finest 2 When an adjective ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to ier or iest. heavy > heavier, heaviest lucky > luckier, luckiest 3 Sometimes we double a final consonant. This happens when a one-syllable adjective ends with one vowel and one consonant, e.g. big, flat. big > bigger, biggest flat > flatter, flattest

For more details about doubling, see G. G The doubling of consonants 1 When we add ed, ing, er or est to a word, we sometimes double a final consonant. This happens when a one-syllable word ends with one vowel and one consonant, e.g. stop, get, thin, sad. stop > stopped get > getting thin > thinner sad > saddest 2 We do not double y, w or x. play > played new > newest fax > faxing We do not double when there are two consonants. ask > asking short > shortest rich > richer And we do not double when there are two vowels. seem > seemed shout> shouting fair > fairest