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Year 6

Using the suffix -ed to form the past tense

I can apply spelling rules to spell words with the suffix -ed.

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New
New
Year 6

Using the suffix -ed to form the past tense

I can apply spelling rules to spell words with the suffix -ed.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. If the root word contains a short vowel sound, double the consonant and add the suffix -ed.
  2. If the root word ends in 'y', remove the 'y' and add -ied unless there is a vowel before the 'y'.
  3. If the root word is a verb that ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add -ed.
  4. There are specific rules for words containing the stressed or unstressed 'fer' spelling.
  5. How to spell the curriculum words: determined, suggest.

Keywords

  • Suffix - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word

  • Past tense - shows that the action happened before now

  • Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes

  • Vowel sound - the specific sound produced by a vowel when pronounced

  • Stressed - an emphasised sound

Common misconception

Children misspell the 'ough' letter string, like in irregular past tense verbs 'thought' or 'fought'.

Use the phrase 'oh you grumpy hippo' to remember the sequence of letters: o u g h.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Using the suffix -ed to form the past tense, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Showing the words in full sentences can help pupils learn and remember the spellings. Comment on other elements of the more difficult spellings to identify what is unique or challenging about the spelling. This will help build up familiarity with these harder to spell words.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Select the suffixes.
Correct answer: -ed
un-
Correct answer: -ly
de-
Correct answer: -ful
Q2.
Select all the words containing the suffix -ed.
Correct answer: stayed
slept
Correct answer: jogged
edible
Correct answer: worried
Q3.
Match the words ending with the suffix -ed to their root words.
Correct Answer:stop,stopped
tick

stopped

Correct Answer:hurry,hurried
tick

hurried

Correct Answer:appreciate,appreciated
tick

appreciated

Correct Answer:laugh,laughed
tick

laughed

Q4.
Which sentences are in the past tense?
Correct answer: He went home.
I love apples and berries.
Correct answer: They ran across the field.
You do not have a pen.
Correct answer: She walked to the shop.
Q5.
Match the present tense verbs with their past tense verbs.
Correct Answer:stay,stayed
tick

stayed

Correct Answer:share,shared
tick

shared

Correct Answer:go,went
tick

went

Correct Answer:sleep,slept
tick

slept

Q6.
What rule is being used when the word 'slice' becomes 'sliced' when adding the suffix -ed?
Just add -ed.
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ied.
Correct answer: Remove the ‘e’ and add -ed.
Double the consonant and add -ed.

6 Questions

Q1.
What rule is being used when the word 'commit' becomes 'committed' when adding the suffix -ed?
Just add -ed.
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ied.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -ed.
Correct answer: Double the consonant and add -ed.
Q2.
What rule is being used when the word 'occupy' becomes 'occupied' when adding the suffix -ed?
Just add -ed.
Correct answer: Remove the ‘y’ and add -ied.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -ed.
Double the consonant and add -ed.
Q3.
What rule is being used when the word 'sacrifice' becomes 'sacrificed' when adding the suffix -ed?
Just add -ed.
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ied.
Correct answer: Remove the ‘e’ and add -ed.
Double the consonant and add -ed.
Q4.
Write the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'He dragd his coat along the ground.'
Correct Answer: dragged
Q5.
Write the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: I am determind to get full marks in the test.
Correct Answer: determined
Q6.
Write the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'The room was okupied so we couldn't go in.'
Correct Answer: occupied

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