Spelling Rules
Mary W. Ng
July 24, 2009
The Past Form and the Past Participle of Regular Verbs
Regular verbs are verbs that form their past form and past participle by adding d or ed to the base form.
Here are some spelling rules for forming the past form and the past participle of regular verbs:
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For verbs ending in e, add d.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle agree agreed agreed believe believed believed cure cured cured tie tied tied -
For one-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant other than w, x, or y, double the last consonant and add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle ban banned banned clot clotted clotted flip flipped flipped tag tagged tagged -
For some verbs ending in a vowel plus w, add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle flow flowed flowed row rowed rowed gnaw gnawed gnawed paw pawed pawed Exceptions: blow, draw, grow, hew, know, mow, outgrow, overdraw, overthrow, saw, sew, show, sow, strew, throw, withdraw. See The Past Form and Past Participle of Irregular Verbs.
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For verbs ending in a vowel plus x, add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle mix mixed mixed relax relaxed relaxed -
For some verbs ending in a vowel plus y, add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle display displayed displayed employ employed employed enjoy enjoyed enjoyed pay (let out rope) payed payed relay relayed relayed Exceptions: buy, gainsay, inlay, lay, mislay, overlay, overpay, pay, prepay, repay, say, slay, underpay, unsay. See The Past Form and Past Participle of Irregular Verbs.
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For two-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant other than w, x, or y, double the last consonant and add ed when the stress is on the last syllable.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle occur occurred occurred permit permitted permitted prefer preferred preferred The last consonant is not doubled when the stress is on the first syllable.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle cancel canceled canceled glisten glistened glistened mirror mirrored mirrored Please note that in British English, the consonant l is doubled even though the stress is on the first syllable.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle cancel cancelled cancelled level levelled levelled marvel marvelled marvelled ravel ravelled ravelled revel revelled revelled travel travelled travelled -
For verbs ending in a consonant plus y, change the y to i and add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle cry cried cried defy defied defied pity pitied pitied rely relied relied -
For verbs ending in ic, change the c to ck and add ed.
Base Form Past Form Past Participle frolic frolicked frolicked mimic mimicked mimicked panic panicked panicked picnic picnicked picnicked traffic trafficked trafficked