ing – visiting / suffer + ing – suffering / open + ed – opened But if the words ends with ‘l’, the letter ‘l’ is doubled in British English, even if the last part of the word is unstressed. e.g. travel + ed – travelled / travel + er – traveller / quarrel + ing– quarrelling (Note the exception: parallel + ed – paralleled) d) If the word to which the suffix –ful is added ends in ‘ll’, one ‘l’ is dropped in British English. e.g.
skill + ful– skilful ninth / wise + dom – wisdom / argue + ment– argument d) In the following words, the final ‘e’ is retained to keep ‘c’ or ‘g’ soft before ‘a’ or ‘o’. e.g. change + able – changeable / manage + able – manageable / courage + ous – courageous / trace + able – traceable / notice + able - noticeable . Final ‘y’ a) In words ending in a consonant + ‘y’, the letter ‘y’ changes to ‘ie’ before ‘-s’ and to ‘i’ before –ed, -er, -est and –ly.
e.g. lady + s – ladies / carry + s – carries / fairy + s – fairies/ worry + ed – worried/ fry + ed – fried / marry + ed – married / lucky + er – luckier / funny + er – funnier / happy + er – happier / easy + est – easiest / funny + est – funniest / busy + est - busiest / easy + ly – easily / happy + ly – happily b) The letter ‘y’ does not change if it comes after a vowel letter. e.g. pray + s – prays / pray + ed – prayed / pray + ing – praying / pray + er – prayer c) Exceptions to the rule e.g.
pay + ed – paid / say + ed – said / day + ly – daily d) The letter ‘y’ in the end does not change before ‘-ing’. e.g. try + ing – trying / worry + ing – worrying e)