The Suffixes -ed and -ing
1. Read these two phrases: Last week and Right now.
Think about which phrase can go at the beginning of this sentence:
He is calling his sister.
Think about which one can go at the beginning of this sentence:
He called his sister.
Write the phrases Last week and Right now into the correct blanks:
Last week he called his sister.
Right now he is calling his sister.
2 A free base is an element that carries the basic meaning of a word and can stand free by itself as a word. A suffix is an element that goes after the base and cannot stand by itself as a word.
Analyze called and calling into a free base and a suffix:
= Free Base
3. The suffix -ed adds the meaning “in the past” to words, as in Last week he called his sister.
The suffix -ing adds the meaning “still going on,” as in Right now he is calling his sister.
4. In They showed us the books what meaning does -ed add to showed? “in the past”
5. In They are showing us the books what meaning does -ing add to showing? “still going on”
6. Fill in either -ed or -ing. Show any twinning:
a. The game ended two hours ago.
b. The plane is landing right now.
c. Last night we spotted a mouse in our house.
d. She is playing the piano now.
e. The old store burned down yesterday.
f. The rain stopped two hours ago.
g. They canned pears all day last Saturday.
h. They are still helping us all they can.
Teaching Notes. Item 6. As a follow-up discussion you might try changing the phrases in any of the first seven sentences that specify the time (two hours ago, right now, etc.) so that you shift the time from past to present or vice versa. Then ask the students to make the necessary changes in -ed and -ing in the sentences.
Notice that we are not dealing here with the difference between past tense and present tense verbs. To be sure, in He called his sister the verb called is in the past tense. But in He is calling his sister the present tense verb is actually is; calling is a present participle. Verbs are defined in Lesson Eight of Book Three. Present participles are not discussed in the Basic Speller, but past participles are discussed in Lesson 32 of Book Four.
For now we are simply concerned to introduce the students to the two common suffixes -ed and -ing.