Doubling (the C-V-C spelling rule)

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Doubling(the C-V-C spelling rule)

• a presentation by Rick Shur
• LaGuardia Community College
• Credit ESL Dept.

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The following end in C-V-C

• run
• skip
• swim
• prod
• slug
• bar
• big

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There are two kinds of letters...

• Vowels

• Consonants

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5 Vowels
a e i o u
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21 Consonants
b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z
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C-V-C endings

• r (consonant)
• u (vowel)
• n (consonant)

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• s
• k (consonant)
• i (vowel)
• p (consonant)

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• s
• w (consonant)
• i (vowel)
• m (consonant)

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• p
• r (consonant)
• o (vowel)
• d (consonant)

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• s
• l (consonant)
• u (vowel)
• g (consonant)

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• b (consonant)
• a (vowel)
• r (consonant)

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• b (consonant)
• i (vowel)
• g (consonant)

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If you add...

• ing
• er
• est
• ed

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to a ONE-syllable word ending in

• consonant - vowel - consonant

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double the last letter
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• base form ing er ed est

• run running runner
• skip skipping skipper skipped
• swim swimming swimmer
• prod prodding prodder prodded
• slug slugging slugger slugged
• bar barring barred
• big bigger biggest

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if you are adding these endingsto a
TWO-syllable word ending in
consonant - vowel - consonant
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double the last letter
only if
the LAST syllable
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has the STRESS

• (the stressed syllable
• is the loud, accented
• one)

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The following end in C-V-C
with the stress at the end(on the LAST syllable)

• begin
• prefer
• repel

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The following end in C-V-C
They DO NOT have the stresson the LAST syllable!

• listen
• offer
• travel

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DOUBLE

• begin beginning beginner
• prefer preferring preferred
• repel repelling repelled

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DONTDOUBLE

• listen listening listened
• offer offering offered
• travel traveling traveled

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(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!)
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Now, you decide...
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DOUBLE or DONT DOUBLE?
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forget ing

• forget

ing
t
and the stress is at the end forget
forget ends in g e t
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SO YOU DOUBLE!

• try this one...

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target ing
target
ing
and the stress is at the beginning target
target ends in g e t
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SO YOU DONT DOUBLE!
targeting targeted targeter try this one...
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control ed
control
ed
l
and the stress is at the end control
control ends in r o l
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SO YOU DOUBLE!
controlling controlled controller try this
one...
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shop er
shopper
and its only ONE syllable!
shop ends in h o p
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SO YOU DOUBLE!
try this one...
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shop ed
shopped
and its only ONE syllable!
shop ends in h o p
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remember You double before ing, but also before
ed, er, est!
SO YOU DOUBLE!
shopping hugging slimming shopped hugged slim
med shopper hugger slimmer try this one...
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and its only ONE syllable!
bum er
bummer
bum ends in b u m (thats the whole word!)
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SO YOU DOUBLE!
(If you got that one wrong, I hope youre not
bummed out, I dont enjoy bumming people out!)
try this one...
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and its only ONE syllable!
step ing
stepping
step ends in t e p
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step ed
p
step
ed
and its only ONE syllable!
step ends in t e p
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SO YOU DOUBLE!(Did you remember?You double for
ingand also forederest)steppingstepped
try this one...
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step er
stepper (a high stepper is a dancer)
and its only ONE syllable!
step ends in t e p
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Youre getting the idea now!

• (I hope.)

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sleep ing
sleeping
and thats NOT C V C!!! (its V V C)
sleep ends in e e p
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SO YOU DONT DOUBLE!
try this one...
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work ends in o r k
work er
worker
and thats NOT C V C!!! its V C C
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SO YOU DONT DOUBLE!
try this one...
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sleep ed
slept
Its irregular! (I just wanted to make sure you
werent sleeping!)
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write ing
writ
e
ing
and thats NOT C V C!!!
write ends in i t e
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For write

• You just drop
• the final e
• and add the ending,
• and DONT DOUBLE!

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drop the final e

• write
• writ (drop the final e)
• writing (ading the ing and DONT double)
• double
• doubl (drop the final e)
• doubling (add the ing and DONT double)

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try this one...
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hope ing
hop
e
ing
and thats NOT C V C!!! (Just drop the final e!)
write ends in o p e
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Im hoping you got that one right!

• hope
• hop (drop the final e)
• hoping (add the ing and DONT double)

• Did you?
• Try this...

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hop ing(Hop means to jumplike a bunny
rabbit.I hope you understand the word hop.)
p
hop
ing
hop ends in h o p
and that IS C V C!!!
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SO YOU DOUBLE!hoppinghoppedhopper
Im hoping that youre hopping up and down with
joy!
Are you? Try this...
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show ed
showed
New rule! NEVER DOUBLE a w!
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mix ing
mixing
Another exception! NEVER DOUBLE an x!
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pay ing
paying
One more exception! Never double a y!
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Three exceptions! Never double a w! Never double
an x! Never double a y!
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(Did you know that they call the W the
double-u because in the original Latin writing
system the u and the v were the same letter? Some
languages call it the double-v! Am I boring
you?)
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One more strange exception!

• The qu combination
• acts together like one Consonant

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SO...
quit quitting quitter equip equipping
equipped
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Thats 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 youre answerring the questions,
• I hope youll be thinkking hard
• as youre workking. Youll be showwing
• that you were payying attention,
• and you wont be makking mistakes
• like the ones appearring here.