Key learning points

1. Adding the suffix -ed turns the verb into the past tense.
2. When the vowel sound is long, we just add the suffix -ed.
3. When the vowel sound is short, we double the consonant and add the suffix -ed.
4. How to spell irregular verbs in the past tense, such as slept.
5. How to spell the common exception words: different, material and busy.

Keywords

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

• Irregular - not conforming to a regular or predictable pattern

• Present tense - when the action is happening now

• Past tense - when the action has happened before now

• Verb - a doing or being verb

Common misconception