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.