Exploring Language

4.7 Verb Tense and Spelling: Past Tense Endings     

downloadable past tense spelling worksheet      

 

As you know, the regular way of forming the past tense of verbs in English is to add -ed to a verb root.

treat + -ed    =  treated

            root + affix  =  past tense           

 

Sometimes, however, the spelling changes when the past tense suffix is added.

 

1. Give the plural form of these words:

 

admit

commit

refer

 

What is the rule of past tense spelling based on these words?

 

2. When we look at more data, we may need to add another rule. What is the past tense form of these words?

 

inherit

target

visit

 

3. And when the word is only a single syllable, what is the past tense form?

 

stop

tap

sob

 

4. And finally, what is the past tense form of these words?

 

treat

wheel

pour

 

Write a rule to explain the spelling pattern.

 

[Teacher Notes: for (1) VC + ed = VCCed, for (2) VC + ed and stress not on last syllable = VCed, for (3) VC + ed and one syllable = VCCed, and for (4) VVC + ed = VVCed.]

 

key words: spelling, verbs, suffixes, morphology

 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2f Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2d Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2e Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.