Year 1 English: Adding -ing, -ed and -er to root words
Part of the Year 1 English adding endings chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Adding -ing, -ed and -er to root words
The main word is the root word. We can add a small ending to the end of it. -ing means it is happening now. -ed means it already happened. -er means a person who does the action.
Look at help: helping, helped, helper. The root word help does not change.
Key ideas
- The root word is the main word, like help.
- -ing: happening now, like helping.
- -ed: already happened, like helped.
- -er: a person who does it, like helper.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: jump
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.jump + ing = jumping
- Write the answer. jumping
Check. Take the ending off to check: jumping becomes jump. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of jump. Write jumping, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ed.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: walk
- Add -ed. Already happened, so we add -ed.walk + ed = walked
- Write the answer. walked
Check. Take the ending off to check: walked becomes walk. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of walk. Write walked, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -er.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: help
- Add -er. A person who does the action, so we add -er.help + er = helper
- Write the answer. helper
Check. Take the ending off to check: helper becomes help. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of help. Write helper, with no letters missing or added.
Watch out
Watch out: keep every letter of the root word. Write helping, not helpping. The root word help has only one p.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Say a root word, then add the ending out loud: help, helping, helped, helper. Ask your child to find the root word in each one. Use “now” for -ing and “yesterday” for -ed.
Exercise 5B Adding -ing, -ed and -er
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ed.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: jump
- Add -ed. Already happened, so we add -ed.jump + ed = jumped
- Write the answer. jumped
Check. Take the ending off to check: jumped becomes jump. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of jump. Write jumped, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: walk
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.walk + ing = walking
- Write the answer. walking
Check. Take the ending off to check: walking becomes walk. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of walk. Write walking, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ed.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: play
- Add -ed. Already happened, so we add -ed.play + ed = played
- Write the answer. played
Check. Take the ending off to check: played becomes play. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of play. Write played, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: paint
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.paint + ing = painting
- Write the answer. painting
Check. Take the ending off to check: painting becomes paint. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of paint. Write painting, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ed.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: help
- Add -ed. Already happened, so we add -ed.help + ed = helped
- Write the answer. helped
Check. Take the ending off to check: helped becomes help. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of help. Write helped, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: wash
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.wash + ing = washing
- Write the answer. washing
Check. Take the ending off to check: washing becomes wash. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of wash. Write washing, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ed.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: look
- Add -ed. Already happened, so we add -ed.look + ed = looked
- Write the answer. looked
Check. Take the ending off to check: looked becomes look. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of look. Write looked, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: help
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.help + ing = helping
- Write the answer. helping
Check. Take the ending off to check: helping becomes help. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of help. Write helping, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: play
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.play + ing = playing
- Write the answer. playing
Check. Take the ending off to check: playing becomes play. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of play. Write playing, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -ing.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: walk
- Add -ing. Happening now or still going on, so we add -ing.walk + ing = walking
- Write the answer. walking
Check. Take the ending off to check: walking becomes walk. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of walk. Write walking, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -er.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: play
- Add -er. A person who does the action, so we add -er.play + er = player
- Write the answer. player
Check. Take the ending off to check: player becomes play. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of play. Write player, with no letters missing or added.
Key words. The root word is the main word. An ending is a few letters added to the end, like -ing or -ed.
Method. Keep the root word the same, then add -er.
- Find the root word. The root word is the main word, before any ending.root word: paint
- Add -er. A person who does the action, so we add -er.paint + er = painter
- Write the answer. painter
Check. Take the ending off to check: painter becomes paint. ✓
Watch out. Keep every letter of paint. Write painter, with no letters missing or added.
Method. Look at the root word help and the ending -er.
- Find the root word. The root word is help, with one p.help
- Add only -er. The root word does not change, so add just -er.help + er = helper
- Check the spelling. Helper has one p, the same as help.helper has one p
- Write the answer. No. The word is helper. Add only -er to help.
Check. Take -er off helper and you get help. ✓
Watch out. Do not double the letter p. Only add the ending.