Year 6 English Spelling -ant, -ent, -able and -ible: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the word family, then change the ending.

1. Find the base word. vacant ends in -ant.
   vacant
2. Change the ending. Take off -ant and add -ancy: vac + ancy = vacancy.
   vacancy
3. Write the answer.
   vacancy

Check. vacant becomes vacancy. ✓

Watch out. Do not write -ant or -ent in the noun. The noun ends in -ancy.

Method. Find the word family, then change the ending.

1. Find the base word. confident ends in -ent.
   confident
2. Change the ending. Take off -ent and add -ence: confid + ence = confidence.
   confidence
3. Write the answer.
   confidence

Check. confident becomes confidence. ✓

Watch out. Do not write -ant or -ent in the noun. The noun ends in -ence.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. Independent has -ent, so the noun takes -ence.
   independence fits
3. Reject the other choices. Independance has -ance, which is the wrong family ending.
   independance do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   independence

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Method. Look for a related word, and if there is none, learn the spelling.

1. Look for a related word. There is no clear family word that shows the ending.
   no clear family
2. Learn the spelling. The word ends in -ant, so learn it.
   important
3. Write the answer.
   important

Check. important ends in -ant. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the spelling in a dictionary when you are not sure.

Method. Look for a related word, and if there is none, learn the spelling.

1. Look for a related word. There is no clear family word that shows the ending.
   no clear family
2. Learn the spelling. The word ends in -ent, so learn it.
   different
3. Write the answer.
   different

Check. different ends in -ent. ✓

Watch out. Say the word, then check the spelling in a dictionary when you are not sure.

Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.

1. Find the root word. love is a whole word, so the ending is -able.
   love
2. Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.
   love ends in e: drop the e (lov), then add -able: lov + able = lovable
3. Write the answer.
   lovable

Check. The adjective is lovable. ✓

Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.

Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.

1. Check the root. vis is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.
   vis
2. Add the ending. vis + ible = visible.
   vis + ible = visible
3. Write the answer.
   visible

Check. vis + ible = visible. ✓

Watch out. Some -able words are written -ible. Learn the words that do not follow the root-word rule.

Method. Drop the e, then add -y.

1. Find the adjective. reasonable ends in -ble, so the adverb ends in -bly.
   reasonable
2. Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: reasonabl, then add -y: reasonably = reasonably.
   reasonably
3. Write the answer.
   reasonably

Check. reasonable becomes reasonably. ✓

Watch out. Keep the l, and write -bly, not -bley.

Method. Find each wrong word, and use the family word or the rule.

1. Find the first mistake. Patiant is the adjective, which ends in -ent.
   patiant
2. Find the second mistake. Excellant also ends in -ent, not -ant.
   excellant
3. Write the answer.
   The patient nurse was very excellent with the children.

Check. patient and excellent end in -ent. ✓

Method. Look at the root word and its last letter.

1. Look at the root word. Comfort is a whole word and ends in t, not e.
   comfort
2. Add the ending. Add -able to the whole word: comfortable.
   comfortable
3. Write the answer.
   Comfort is a whole word that ends in t, so -able is added without dropping any letter

Check. comfort + able = comfortable. ✓

Method. Take off -ant, then add -ance.

1. Find the base word. Resistant ends in -ant.
   resistant
2. Change the ending. Take off -ant and add -ance: resist + ance.
   resistance
3. Write the answer.
   resistance

Check. resistant - ant + ance = resistance. ✓

Method. Take off -ant, then add -ancy.

1. Find the base word. Vacant ends in -ant.
   vacant
2. Change the ending. Take off -ant and add -ancy: vac + ancy.
   vacancy
3. Write the answer.
   vacancy

Check. vacant - ant + ancy = vacancy. ✓

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. Confident has -ent, so the noun takes -ence.
   confidence fits
3. Reject the other choices. Confidance has -ance, which is the wrong family ending.
   confidance do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   confidence

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Method. Drop the silent e, then add -able.

1. Find the root word. Love is a whole word, and it ends in silent e.
   love
2. Drop the e and add -able. Drop the e: lov, then add able.
   lovable
3. Write the answer.
   lovable

Check. love - e + able = lovable. ✓

Method. The root terr is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.

1. Check the root. Terr is not a word on its own.
   terr
2. Add the ending. Add -ible: terr + ible.
   terrible
3. Write the answer.
   terrible

Check. terr + ible = terrible. ✓

Method. Find each word that is wrong, then use its family word.

1. Find the first mistake. Patiant is the adjective, which ends in -ent: patient.
   patiant
2. Find the second mistake. Patiance is the noun from patient, which ends in -ence: patience.
   patiance
3. Write the answer.
   The patient teacher waited with patience for the late bus.

Check. patient and patience are both correct. ✓

Method. Comfortable ends in -able, so the adverb ends in -ably.

1. Find the adjective. Comfortable ends in -able.
   comfortable
2. Add the ending. Comfortable ends in -able, so the adverb is comfortably.
   comfortably
3. Write the answer.
   comfortably

Check. comfortable becomes comfortably. ✓

Method. Use the adjective to describe the jumper.

1. Choose the subject. The jumper is the thing described.
   The school jumper
2. Add the adjective. Washable tells the reader it can be cleaned.
   is washable, so it can go in the machine.
3. Write the answer.
   The school jumper is washable, so it can go in the machine.

Check. The sentence uses washable with the right spelling. ✓

Method. Compare the root word with the ending.

1. Look at the root word. Sense is a whole word.
   sense
2. Compare the ending. Sensible ends in -ible, so it must be learned.
   sensible
3. Write the answer.
   Sense is a whole word, but sensible ends in -ible, so I learn its spelling.

Check. sensible is an exception. ✓

Method. Use the word in a sentence about an animal.

1. Choose the subject. The elephant is the animal.
   The elephant
2. Finish the sentence. Add a verb and an object.
   at the zoo ate a big bunch of hay.
3. Write the answer.
   The elephant at the zoo ate a big bunch of hay.

Check. elephant ends in -ant. ✓