Doubling (the C-V-C spelling rule)

Doubling(the C-V-C spelling rule) a presentation by Rick Shur LaGuardia Community College Credit ESL Dept.

The following end in C-V-C • run • skip • swim • prod • slug • bar • big

Vowels Consonants There are two kinds of letters...

5 Vowels a e i o u

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 + inger edest • runrunningrunner • skip skippingskipperskipped • swim swimmingswimmer • prod proddingprodderprodded • slug sluggingsluggerslugged • bar barring barred • big bigger biggest

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 They DO NOT have the stresson the LAST syllable! • listen • offer • travel

DOUBLE • beginbeginning beginner • preferpreferring preferred • repelrepelling repelled

DON’TDOUBLE • listenlisteninglistened • offer offeringoffered • traveltravelingtraveled

(Okay, you will see travelled and travelling 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...

DOUBLE or DON’T DOUBLE?

forget + ing t ing forget and the stress is at the end… forget forget ends in get

SO YOU DOUBLE! try this one...

target + ing target ing and the stress is at the beginning… target target ends in get

SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE! targeting targeted targeter try this one...

control + ed control l ed and the stress is at the end… control control ends in r o l

SO YOU DOUBLE! controlling controlled controller try this one...

shop + er shopper and it’s only ONE syllable! shop ends in hop

SO YOU DOUBLE! try this one...

shop + ed shopped and it’s only ONE syllable! shop ends in hop

remember… You double before ing, but also before ed, er, est! SO YOU DOUBLE! shopping hugging slimming shopped hugged slimmed shopper hugger slimmer try this one...

and it’s only ONE syllable! bum + er bummer bum ends in bum (that’s the whole word!)

SO YOU DOUBLE! (If you got that one wrong, I hope you’re not bummed out, I don’t enjoy bumming people out!) try this one...

and it’s only ONE syllable! step + ing stepping step ends in tep

step + ed p step ed and it’s only ONE syllable! step ends in tep

SO YOU DOUBLE!(Did you remember?You double for ingand also forederest)steppingstepped try this one...

step + er stepper (a “high stepper” is a dancer) and it’s only ONE syllable! step ends in tep

You’re getting the idea now! (I hope.)

sleep + ing sleeping and that’s NOT CVC!!! (it’s VVC) sleep ends in eep

SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE! try this one...

work ends in ork work + er worker and that’s NOT CVC!!! it’s VC C

SO YOU DON’T DOUBLE! try this one...

sleep + ed slept It’s irregular! (I just wanted to make sure you weren’t sleeping!)

write + ing writ e ing and that’s NOT CVC!!! write ends in ite

For write You just drop the final e and add the ending, and DON’T DOUBLE!

Doubling (the C-V-C spelling rule)