Spelling - Eliminating 'e': Activity 5

Sort the examples into two groups

DROP 'E'
KEEP 'E'
notice + -ing → noticing
notice + -ed → noticed
manage + -ing → managing
manage + -er → manager
change + -ing → changing
change + -ed → changed

Answers

Prediction: base words ending in -ge or -ce do drop the e before suffixes which start with e or i, as the e is not needed to mark a ‘soft g’ or ‘soft c’ (they are usually soft before an i as well as an e).

Was this predication true for these examples?

  • DROP 'E' GROUP: notice + -ing → noticing, notice + -ed → noticed, manage + -ing → managing, manage + -er → manager, change + -ing → changing, change + -ed → changed

Yes it was!

  • Generally, base words ending in -ge or -ce do drop the e before suffixes which start with e or i.
  • The final e of the base word is only kept where it is needed to mark a ‘soft g’ or ‘soft c’ pronunciation such as when the suffix ends in a or o.

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