You know that verbs show when, and that most add -ed for the past. Endings like -s, -ed and -ing go on many words. Usually you just add them: jump, jumps, jumped, jumping. Two patterns need care.
| The word | What to do | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| short, one vowel, ends in one consonant (hop, stop) | double the last letter | hopped, hopping; stopped, stopping |
| ends in a silent e (hope, bake) | drop the e before -ing; add just -d for the past | hoping, hoped; baking, baked |
| anything else (jump, play) | just add the ending | jumped, playing |
Key idea
Short word, short vowel, one last consonant: double it (hopping). Silent e: drop it before -ing (hoping). Otherwise, just add the ending.
Why it works
The doubled letter keeps the vowel short. Hoping (one p) says the long o of hope; hopping (two p’s) says the short o of hop. One letter tells the reader which word you mean.
Worked example: Add -ing to stop
stop + ing
- Stop is short, with a short o and one p at the end.
- Double the p, then add -ing.
Answer: stopping
Worked example: Add -ing to smile
smile + ing
- Smile ends in a silent e.
- Drop the e, then add -ing.
Answer: smiling
Common mistake
Forgetting to double (hoping when you mean hopping), or keeping the e (hopeing). Ask: does the word end in a silent e? Is it short, with one vowel and one last consonant?
For the grown-up. Some verbs change in their own way in the past (run, ran), so they skip the -ed rules. A word ending in w, x or y is never doubled: snowing, fixed, played.