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Year 4 - English

Adding the suffix -ing to verbs

Verb and adjective suffixes

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn spelling and grammar conventions associated with certain verb and adjective suffixes, like -ate, -en, -ify, -ise and -ous. Pupils will review and learn more examples of how the addition of a suffix can affect the grammar of a word, for example its word class or tense.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to spell a word in the progressive tense using the suffix -ing.

Key Notes

  • Adding the suffix -ing turns the verb into the progressive tense.
  • When the word ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add the suffix -ing.
  • When the word ends in 'y', just add the suffix -ing.
  • How to spell the curriculum words: length, strength and fruit.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • suffix: a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word
  • progressive tense: a tense that denotes ongoing action
  • verb: a doing or being word

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think 'y' is removed and replaced with an 'i', like with the suffix -ed e.g. carry

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Adding the suffix -ing turns the verb into the progressive tense. When the word ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add the suffix -ing.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'suffix'

a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think 'y' is removed and replaced with an 'i', like with the suffix -ed e.g. carry. Correction: Show that we end up with two 'i's in a row if this happens: fly becoming fliing, so we keep the 'y'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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