Doubling(the C-V-C spelling rule)
a presentation by Rick ShurLaGuardia Community College
Credit ESL Dept.
The following end in C-V-C
• run • skip• swim• prod• slug• bar• big
There are two kinds of letters...
• Vowels • Consonants
5 Vowels
aeiou
21 Consonants
b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z
C-V-C endings
• r (consonant)• u (vowel)• n (consonant)
• s• k (consonant)• i (vowel)• p (consonant)
• s• w (consonant)• i (vowel)• m (consonant)
• p• r (consonant)• o (vowel)• d (consonant)
• s • l (consonant)• u (vowel)• g (consonant)
• b (consonant)• a (vowel)• r (consonant)
• b (consonant)• i (vowel)• g (consonant)
If you add...
• ing• er• est• ed
to a ONE-syllable word ending in
consonant - vowel - consonant
double the last letter
• base form + ing er ed est
• run runnning runnner• skip skippping skippper skippped• swimswimmming swimmmer• prod proddding proddder proddded• slug sluggging sluggger sluggged• bar barrring barrred• big biggger
bigggest
if you are adding these endingsto a TWO-syllable word ending
in
consonant - vowel - consonant
double the last letter
only if
the LAST syllable
has the STRESS
(the stressed syllable is the loud, accented
one)
The following end in C-V-C
with the stress at the end(on the LAST syllable)
• begin
• prefer• repel
The following end in C-V-C
• listen
• offer
• travel
They DO NOT have the stresson the LAST syllable!
• begin beginnning
beginnner
• prefer preferrring
preferrred
• repel repellling repellled
DOUBLE
DON’TDOUBLE
• listen listening listened
• offer offering offered
• travel traveling traveled
(Okay, you will see travellled and travellling in the dictionary, too.This is an exception to the doubling rule.
You can double final l
if you want to
even if the stress is not at the END!)
Now, you decide...
DOUBLEorDON’T DOUBLE?
forget + ing
forget ends in g e tand the stress is at the end…
forget
forget ingtt
SO YOU DOUBLE!
try this one...
target + ing
target ends in g e tand the stress is at the beginning…
target
targeting
SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE!targetingtargetedtargeter
try this one...
control + ed
control ends in r o land the stress is at the end…
control
control edll
SO YOU DOUBLE!
controllingcontrolledcontroller
try this one...
shop + er
shop ends in h o p and it’sonly ONE syllable!
shoppper
SO YOU DOUBLE!
try this one...
shop + ed
shop ends in h o p and it’sonly ONE syllable!
shoppped
SO YOU DOUBLE!
remember…You double before ing,
but also before ed, er, est!
shopping hugging slimmingshopped hugged slimmedshopper hugger slimmer
try this one...
bum + er
bum ends in b u m(that’s the whole word!)
and it’sonly ONE syllable!
bummmer
SO YOU DOUBLE!
(If you got that one wrong,
I hope you’re not bummmed out,
I don’t enjoy bummming people out!)
try this one...
step + ing
step ends in t e p
and it’sonly ONE syllable!
steppping
step + ed
step ends in t e p and it’sonly ONE syllable!
step edpp
SO YOU DOUBLE!(Did you remember?You double for ing
and also foreder
est)
steppingstepped
try this one...
step + er
step ends in t e p and it’sonly ONE syllable!
steppper(a “high steppper” is a dancer)
You’re gettting the idea now!
(I hope.)
sleep + ing
sleep ends in e e p
and that’s NOTC V C!!!(it’s V V C)
sleeping
SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE!
try this one...
work + erwork ends in o r k
and that’s NOTC V C!!! it’s V C C
worker
SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE!
try this one...
sleep + ed
sleptIt’s irregular!
(I just wanted to make sure you weren’t sleeping!)
write + ing
write ends in i t e and that’s NOTC V C!!!
writeing
For write
You just dropthe final e
and add the ending,and DON’T DOUBLE!
drop the final e
• write• writ (drop the final e)• writing (ading the ing and DON’T double)• double• doubl (drop the final e)• doubling (add the ing and DON’T double)
try this one...
hope + ing
write ends in o p e
and that’s NOTC V C!!! (Just drop thefinal e!)
hopeing
I’m hoping you got that one right!
Did you?
Try this...
• hope• hop (drop the final e)• hoping (add the ing and DON’T double)
hop + ing
(Hop means to jumplike a bunny rabbit.
I hope you understand the word hop.)
hop ends in h o p and that ISC V C!!!
hop pping
SO YOU DOUBLE!hoppinghoppedhopper
I’m hoping that you’re hoppping up and down with joy!
Are you?
Try this...
show + ed
New rule!NEVER DOUBLE a w!
showed
mix + ing
Another exception!NEVER DOUBLE an x!
mixing
pay + ing
One more exception!Never double a y!
paying
Three exceptions!Never double a w!Never double an x!Never double a y!
(Did you know that they callthe Wthe “double-u”because in the original Latinwriting systemthe u and the v were the sameletter?Some languages call itthe “double-v”!Am I boring you?)
One more strange exception!
The qu combinationacts together like one Consonant
SO...
quit quittting quittter
equip equippping equippped
That’s enough to chew onfor the moment.
Your teacher will be givving you some handouts for practiccing all of this.You should start writting immediately.While you’re answerring the questions, I hope you’ll be thinkking hard as you’re workking. You’ll be showwing that you were payying attention,and you won’t be makking mistakeslike the ones appearring here.
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