Year 6 English: The ending -ible, and -ably and -ibly
Part of the Year 6 English spelling -ant, -ent, -able and -ible chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The ending -ible, and -ably and -ibly
Some adjectives end in -ible. Use -ible when the root is not a word on its own. For example, vis is not a word, so visible ends in -ible. Horrible, terrible and audible follow the same pattern.
Adverbs are made from these adjectives. Drop the e, and add -y: reasonable becomes reasonably, and visible becomes visibly.
Root words that are not words on their own
| Adjective | Root | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| visible | vis | able to be seen |
| horrible | horr | very unpleasant |
| terrible | terr | very bad |
| audible | aud | able to be heard |
| possible | poss | able to happen |
Adverbs from -able and -ible adjectives
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| reasonable | reasonably |
| comfortable | comfortably |
| possible | possibly |
| terrible | terribly |
| visible | visibly |
| horrible | horribly |
Key ideas
- Use -ible after a root that is not a word on its own.
- Sensible is an exception: its root sense is a word, so learn it.
- Drop the e from the adjective, then add -y to make -ably or -ibly.
Method. The root vis is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. Vis is not a word on its own.vis
- Add the ending. Add -ible: vis + ible.vis + ible
- Write the word. Visible means able to be seen.visible
- Write the answer. visible
Check. vis + ible = visible. ✓
Method. Drop the e, then add -y.
- Find the adjective. Reasonable ends in -able.reasonable
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: reasonabl, then add y.reasonabl + y
- Write the adverb. Reasonably means in a fair and sensible way.reasonably
- Write the answer. reasonably
Check. reasonable - e + y = reasonably. ✓
Method. Drop the e, then add -y.
- Find the adjective. Possible ends in -ible.possible
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: possibl, then add y.possibl + y
- Write the adverb. Possibly means that something may happen.possibly
- Write the answer. possibly
Check. possible - e + y = possibly. ✓
Watch out. Write possibly, not possibley.
Watch out
Watch out: sensible ends in -ible, although sense is a word. It is an exception, so learn it.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to make a list of the adjectives in this section, then to change each one into an adverb by dropping the e and adding -y.
Exercise 2E Practice: -ible, -ably and -ibly
Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. vis is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.vis
- Add the ending. vis + ible = visible.vis + ible = visible
- 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. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. horr is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.horr
- Add the ending. horr + ible = horrible.horr + ible = horrible
- Write the answer. horrible
Check. horr + ible = horrible. ✓
Watch out. Some -able words are written -ible. Learn the words that do not follow the root-word rule.
Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. terr is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.terr
- Add the ending. terr + ible = terrible.terr + ible = terrible
- Write the answer. terrible
Check. terr + ible = terrible. ✓
Watch out. Some -able words are written -ible. Learn the words that do not follow the root-word rule.
Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. aud is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.aud
- Add the ending. aud + ible = audible.aud + ible = audible
- Write the answer. audible
Check. aud + ible = audible. ✓
Watch out. Some -able words are written -ible. Learn the words that do not follow the root-word rule.
Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. poss is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.poss
- Add the ending. poss + ible = possible.poss + ible = possible
- Write the answer. possible
Check. poss + ible = possible. ✓
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.
- Find the adjective. reasonable ends in -ble, so the adverb ends in -bly.reasonable
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: reasonabl, then add -y: reasonably = reasonably.reasonably
- Write the answer. reasonably
Check. reasonable becomes reasonably. ✓
Watch out. Keep the l, and write -bly, not -bley.
Method. Drop the e, then add -y.
- Find the adjective. comfortable ends in -ble, so the adverb ends in -bly.comfortable
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: comfortabl, then add -y: comfortably = comfortably.comfortably
- Write the answer. comfortably
Check. comfortable becomes comfortably. ✓
Watch out. Keep the l, and write -bly, not -bley.
Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.
- Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
- Test the choice. Sensible is an exception: sense is a word, but the ending is -ible.sensible fits
- Reject the other choices. Sensable follows the -able pattern for whole words, but it is the wrong spelling for sensible.sensable do not fit
- Write the answer. sensible
Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓
Method. Compare the root word with the ending.
- Look at the root word. Sense is a whole word.sense
- Compare the ending. Sensible ends in -ible, so it breaks the rule for whole words.sensible
- Write the answer. Sense is a whole word, but the ending is -ible, so the word must be learned.
Check. sensible is an exception to learn. ✓
Method. Drop the e, then add -y.
- Find the adjective. Visible ends in -ible.visible
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: visibl, then add y.visibl + y
- Write the answer. visibly
Check. visible - e + y = visibly. ✓
Method. Find each wrong word, and use the root word or the rule.
- Find the first mistake. Horrable should end in -ible, because horr is not a word on its own.horrable
- Find the second mistake. Terribley should be terribly: drop the e and add -y.terribley
- Write the answer. The horrible storm was terribly loud.
Check. horrible and terribly are both correct. ✓
Method. The root horr is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. Horr is not a word on its own.horr
- Add the ending. Add -ible: horr + ible.horrible
- Write the answer. horrible
Check. horr + ible = horrible. ✓
Method. Drop the e, then add -y.
- Find the adjective. Terrible ends in -ible.terrible
- Drop the e and add -y. Drop the e: terribl, then add y.terribl + y
- Write the answer. terribly
Check. terrible - e + y = terribly. ✓
Method. Check whether the root is a word on its own. If not, the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. aud is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.aud
- Add the ending. aud + ible = audible.aud + ible = audible
- Write the answer. audible
Check. aud + ible = audible. ✓
Watch out. Some -able words are written -ible. Learn the words that do not follow the root-word rule.
Method. The root poss is not a word on its own, so the ending is -ible.
- Check the root. Poss is not a word on its own.poss
- Add the ending. Add -ible: poss + ible.possible
- Write the answer. possible
Check. poss + ible = possible. ✓
Method. Use the adverb to tell how something is done.
- Choose the subject. The finish line is the subject.The finish line
- Add the adverb. Visibly tells how close the line was.was visibly close
- Write the answer. The finish line was visibly close, so the runners sprinted.
Check. The sentence uses the adverb with the right spelling. ✓