English Grammar in Use

Spelling rulesNouns, verbs and adjectives can have the following endings:noun + -s/-es (plural) books ideas matchesverb + -s/-es (after he/she/it) works enjoys washesverb + -ing working enjoying washingverb + -ed worked enjoyed washedadjective + -er (comparative) cheaper quicker brighteradjective + -est (superlative) cheapest quickest brightestadjective + -ly (adverb) cheaply quickly brightlyWords ending in -y (baby, carry, easy etc.)If a word ends in a consonant* + y (-by/-ry/-sy/-vy etc.)y changes to ie before the ending -s:baby/babies story/stories country/countries secretary/secretarieshurry/hurries study/studies apply/applies try/triesy changes to i before the ending -ed:hurry/hurried study/studied apply/applied try/triedy changes to i before the endings -er and -est:easy/easier/easiest heavy/heavier/heaviest lucky/luckier/luckiesty changes to i before the ending -ly:easy/easily heavy/heavily temporary/temporarilyDoubling consonants (stop/stopping/stopped, wet/wetter/wettest etc.)Sometimes a word ends in vowel + consonant. For example:stop plan rub big wet thin prefer regretBefore the endings -ing/-ed/-er/-est, we double the consonant at the end. So p Æ pp,n Æ nn etc. For example:stop p Æ pp stopping stoppedplan n Æ nn planning plannedrub b Æ bb rubbing rubbedbig g Æ gg bigger biggestwet t Æ tt wetter wettestthin n Æ nn thinner thinnest11