Putting the ‘S’ in SPaGPutting the ‘S’ in SPaGA whistle-stop tour

PluralsPlurals

just add an s (word ends in consonant or e)

change y to i add -es

-ch,-sh,-x, -s add-es

-f changes to v add-es (thief-thieves)

change the word completely! (person-people)

Just because there is an s there, it does not mean that it needs an apostrophe.

Just because there is an s there, it does not mean that it needs an apostrophe.

Verb endingsVerb endingspresent and future tensepresent and future tense

Add -ing (some nouns): building,climbing, sprawling, vanishing.

Drop final -e/ add -ing: exciting, raising, amazing, wrestling.

Short vowel/double consonant/ add -ing: stopping, beginning.

Verb endingsVerb endingspast tensepast tense

Add -ed: camped, echoed, stretched, discovered, transformed.

Short vowel/double consonant/add -ed: grabbed, planned

Change the y to i/add -ed: carried, qualified, satisfied, married.

Add -d: arrived, injured, judged, released, replaced, illuminated.

double consonants/short vowels (word ends in consonant or e): actually, generally, physically.

add -ly consonant/long vowel: frequently, highly, perfectly, smoothly, thoroughly, importantly.

add -ly word ends e (e needed for rest of word): approximately, extremely.

remove e/add -ly word ends e (removing won’t change the rest of the word): gently

AdverbsAdverbs

i before e except after i before e except after cc

sound ee/put iesound ee/put ie

PrefixesPrefixesNeed to know key Need to know key

prefixesprefixes

SuffixesSuffixes

key suffixes+rules to key suffixes+rules to add add beautiful, carefully, colourful, effortless, hopeful, regardless, successful, wonderful, responsible.

SuperlativesSuperlatives

Add –est to denote the ‘best’ of a group of objects

biggest, largest, nastiest, tallest, widest

ComparativesComparatives

Add –er to make direct comparisons

taller, larger, bigger, nastier, wider

CompounCompound Wordsd Words

Some words are made by joining two roots together

countryside, headquarters, themselves, throughout

Double consonantsDouble consonants

Used to protect/create short vowel sounds in words

apprehensive, common, different, difficult, excellent, follow, million, opposite, passenger, pollution, press, slippery, still, successful, sunny, permission, currency, common, opportunity.

Silent LettersSilent Letters

Many letters are used ‘silently’ in words.

castles, climbing, designed, different, environment, hedges, interesting, knowledge, known, should, strength, stretched, surprise, wrestling

Shun soundShun soundThere are five ways of spelling this sound

-ive words-ive words

Usually used as a suffix; often misspelled as -iv, -eve or –ave. It follows the normal suffix rules

apprehensive, destructive, expensive

-al words-al words ee soundsee sounds

These words have the same sound as

another, but are spelt differently

heard (herd), practice (practise), weight

(wait), where (wear, ware)

homophoneshomophones

Common WordsCommon WordsThese words incorporate a range of spelling rules and sound patterns, including some of those listed above – can you spot them?

amongst, anchors, audience, aware, between, breeze, capable, change, complete, crawl, crept, first, future, journey, moment, most, mysterious, perform, press, purpose, realistic, serious, shook, silence, sneeze, symbol, technique, top, tumble, luxury, delicate, ordinary, fibres.