Spelling - Consonant doubling 2: Activity

Sort the examples into two groups

Answers

• DOUBLE GROUP: transmit + -er → transmitter, forget + -able → forgettable, occur + -ing → occurring, begin + -ing → beginning, commit + -ed → committed, occur + -ence → occurrence
• DON'T DOUBLE GROUP: offer + -ing → offering, open + -ing → opening, visit + -or → visitor, ballot + -ed → balloted, profit + -able → profitable

When does the final consonant double and when does it not double?

Hint: Think about the stress patterns of the base word in each example (which syllable in the word is the strongest).

• If stress is on the final syllable of the base word: DOUBLE.
• If stress is not on the final syllable of the base word: DON’T DOUBLE.

Here are some examples. The symbol ' marks the following syllable as stressed (e.g. for'get indicates forGET):

• for'get, forgetting, forgettable
• 'offer, offering, offered