In English, when we add -ing or -ed to a verb, sometimes we double the final consonant and sometimes we do not. 'Run' becomes 'running' (double n). 'Swim' becomes 'swimming' (double m). 'Plan' becomes 'planned' (double n). But 'hope' becomes 'hoping' (no double, drop the e). 'Write' becomes 'writing' (drop the e, no double). 'Visit' becomes 'visiting' (no double). The rule depends on the structure of the verb. Verbs with one syllable that end in one vowel + one consonant (like run, swim, stop) double the consonant. Verbs ending in -e drop the -e. Other verbs just add -ing or -ed without changes. Students who do not know the rules produce errors like 'runing' (missing the double) or 'hopeing' (keeping the e). This lesson covers the main double-letter spelling rules at A2 level.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
run + ing = running (double n)
swim + ing = swimming (double m)
stop + ed = stopped (double p)
plan + ed = planned (double n)
begin + ing = beginning (double n)
shop + ing = shopping (double p)
What do these verbs have in common? Why does English double the consonant?
All these verbs share a structure: one syllable (or stress on the last syllable), ending in one vowel + one consonant. Run = r-u-n (one vowel u, one final consonant n). Swim = s-w-i-m. Stop = s-t-o-p. Plan = p-l-a-n. The doubling shows that the vowel sound stays short. Without doubling, English readers would expect a long vowel sound — 'runing' would suggest 'roo-ning' (long u). Doubling the n gives 'running' — keeping the short u sound. The rule is: one syllable + one vowel + one consonant → double the consonant before adding -ing or -ed. Begin doubles too (beginning) because the stress is on 'gin' — the last syllable. Most one-syllable verbs of this type follow the rule. Students who learn this rule can spell many verb forms correctly without memorising each one.
hope + ing = hoping (drop the e)
write + ing = writing (drop the e)
live + ing = living (drop the e)
dance + ing = dancing (drop the e)
arrive + ed = arrived (the e becomes part of -ed)
love + ed = loved
Why do these verbs drop the e? What rule are they following?
Verbs ending in -e drop the e before adding -ing. Hope + ing = hoping (not 'hopeing'). Write + ing = writing (not 'writeing'). Live + ing = living. The rule is simple: silent -e at the end + ing → drop the -e. The same rule applies for -ed in some cases — but more often the -e and -ed combine: arrive + ed = arrived (the e of arrive is replaced by -ed; or you can think of it as just adding -d). Hope + ed = hoped. Live + ed = lived. The visual rule for -e endings: drop the e, then add the suffix. Students who do not know this rule write 'hopeing' or 'writeing' or 'liveing' — all wrong. Drilling this rule fixes a common spelling problem.
visit + ing = visiting (no double — visit has TWO syllables and stress is on the FIRST)
open + ing = opening (no double — same reason)
happen + ed = happened (no double — same reason)
listen + ing = listening (no double — same reason)
rain + ing = raining (no double — TWO vowels: a-i, not one)
shout + ing = shouting (no double — TWO vowels: o-u)
look + ing = looking (no double — TWO vowels: o-o)
What are the patterns of NO doubling? When does English NOT double the consonant?
Verbs do NOT double the consonant when the word does not fit the one-syllable + one vowel + one consonant pattern. Two reasons for not doubling: (1) Two-syllable verbs with stress on the FIRST syllable do not double — visit, open, happen, listen. The rule for two-syllable verbs is more complex (sometimes they double if the stress is on the last syllable — like begin → beginning), but at A2 level the safe rule is: most two-syllable verbs do NOT double. (2) Verbs with two vowels before the final consonant do not double — rain (a-i), shout (o-u), look (o-o), reach (e-a). The two vowels signal a long vowel sound, which does not need doubling to stay short. The combined rule for A2 students: only double when the verb is one syllable AND ends in one vowel + one consonant. Otherwise, just add -ing or -ed.
| Rule | When | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double the consonant | One syllable + one vowel + one consonant | run → running, stop → stopped, plan → planned, swim → swimming, hop → hopping | The doubling keeps the vowel sound short. |
| Drop the -e | Verbs ending in silent -e | hope → hoping, write → writing, live → living, dance → dancing, love → loving | Drop the -e before -ing. For -ed, the e becomes -ed (hope → hoped). |
| Just add -ing or -ed | Verbs that do not fit the other rules | visit → visiting, open → opening, look → looking, rain → raining, shout → shouting | For two-syllable verbs (stress on first syllable) and verbs with two vowels before the consonant. |
| Two vowels — no double | Verbs with two vowels before the final consonant | rain → raining (a-i), look → looking (o-o), shout → shouting (o-u), reach → reaching (e-a) | Two vowels mean a long vowel sound — no doubling needed. |
| -y → -ying or -ied | Verbs ending in -y after a consonant | try → tried (y → i + ed), study → studying / studied (y stays before ing, becomes ied for past) | Special pattern for -y endings. -ying for present, -ied for past. |
| Two-syllable, stress on last | Some two-syllable verbs DO double (when stress is on the last syllable) | begin → beginning (stress on 'gin'), prefer → preferred, occur → occurred | Less common pattern. Mostly memorised. begin/begun are key examples. |
| Common errors | Errors students make from not knowing the rules | runing ✗ (should be running) | hopeing ✗ (should be hoping) | visitting ✗ (should be visiting) | studing ✗ (should be studying) | All common errors. The rules above prevent them. |
PATTERN 1 — Double the consonant: When a verb is one syllable AND ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the final consonant before -ing or -ed. Run → running. Stop → stopped. Plan → planned. Swim → swimming. The doubling keeps the vowel sound short.
PATTERN 2 — Drop the -e: When a verb ends in silent -e, drop the -e before adding -ing. Hope → hoping. Write → writing. Live → living. For -ed, the e combines with the suffix: hope → hoped, live → lived.
PATTERN 3 — Just add -ing or -ed: Most other verbs just add -ing or -ed without changes. Visit → visiting / visited. Open → opening / opened. Look → looking / looked. Rain → raining / rained. The default rule for verbs that do not fit the doubling or e-dropping patterns.
PATTERN 4 — Two vowels = no double: Verbs with two vowels before the final consonant do not double. Rain has a-i, look has o-o, shout has o-u, reach has e-a. The two vowels signal a long vowel sound that does not need doubling to stay short.
PATTERN 5 — Two syllables = usually no double: Most two-syllable verbs with stress on the first syllable do not double. Visit, open, listen, happen, gather. Just add -ing or -ed: visiting, opening, listening, happened.
PATTERN 6 — The -y rule: Verbs ending in -y after a consonant follow a special rule. For -ing, the y stays: study → studying, try → trying. For -ed, y changes to i: study → studied, try → tried. After a vowel, no change: play → played.
PATTERN 7 — Drilling the most common errors: The most common errors are 'runing' (missing the double n in running), 'hopeing' (keeping the e in hoping), 'visitting' (doubling when it should not), 'studing' (missing the y in studying). Drilling these errors with the correct forms fixes them.
Spelling rules for verb forms are essential at A2 level. Students who do not know the rules produce errors that are very visible in writing. The good news is that the rules are small and learnable. The bad news is that English has exceptions and edge cases. For A2 students, the safe approach is: learn the three main rules (double, drop -e, just add) and the most common verbs in each category. Reading and writing regularly helps fix the spellings. The rules connect to the gerunds and infinitives lesson (#47) — students who know which verbs take -ing also need to spell those -ing forms correctly. The lesson also connects to irregular verbs (#38) — the regular verb form rules apply only to regular verbs.
Build a spelling wall with three columns: DOUBLE (run → running), DROP E (hope → hoping), JUST ADD (visit → visiting). Add verbs as students meet them in reading. Drill the rules through fast oral practice — the teacher says a base verb, students give the -ing form. Speed forces automatic spelling.
Choose the correct -ing or -ed form of each verb. Apply the spelling rules.
Each sentence has a spelling error in the verb form. Find the wrong form, write the correct one, and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — Why the rules matter (4 min): Write three verb pairs on the board: run → running, hope → hoping, visit → visiting. Show that each pair follows a different rule. Establish that English has spelling rules for verb forms — knowing them prevents very common errors.
STEP 2 — The doubling rule (6 min): Drill the doubling rule. One syllable + one vowel + one consonant → double. Show: run → running, stop → stopped, plan → planned, swim → swimming. Practise five verbs. Check: does each fit the pattern? Yes → double.
STEP 3 — The drop-the-e rule (5 min): Drill the e-dropping rule. Verbs ending in silent -e → drop the e. Show: hope → hoping, write → writing, live → living, dance → dancing. Practise five verbs. The pattern: -e → drop, add -ing.
STEP 4 — The default rule (5 min): Show that other verbs just add -ing or -ed without changes. Two-syllable verbs (visit → visiting, open → opening). Two-vowel verbs (rain → raining, look → looking). Establish that this is the default — most verbs follow it. Only the doubling and dropping rules are exceptions.
STEP 5 — Quick spelling drill (5 min): Call out base verbs at speed. Students write the -ing forms. Mix all three rules — doubling, dropping, no change. After ten verbs, check spellings. Discuss errors. Speed and repetition fix the rules in memory.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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