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Unveiling the most accurate rules for adding ING suffix in English!

Adding ING suffix is one of the crucial and frequently used grammar topics in English. In today's article, PREP will help you understand the detailed rules for adding ING suffix, along with specific examples and exercises. Let's dive in!

3 accurate rules for adding ING suffix in English

I. Cases for adding ING suffix to verbs

Before learning the rules for adding ING suffix, let's explore the cases where we need to add the ING suffix to verbs in English!

1. Usage in progressive tenses

Progressive tenses, including present continuous, past continuous, present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous, future continuous, and future perfect continuous, all follow the formula of V-ing (verb + ING suffix). Therefore, it is essential to grasp the rules for adding ING suffix when using progressive tenses.

For example:

Present continuous: Hanna is reading a book.
Past continuous: The children were playing hide-and-seek when I got home.
Present perfect continuous: I have been working on this project for two hours.

2. Formation of Gerunds

Gerunds are verb forms that add the ING suffix and are used as nouns. Therefore, when forming gerunds, you also need to understand the rules for adding ING suffix to use them correctly.

For example:

Walk ➡ Walking
Eat ➡ Eating
Read ➡ Reading
Jump ➡ Jumping
Play ➡ Playing

3. Following certain verbs with V-ing

In addition, you need to apply the rules for adding ING suffix to verbs that come after certain verbs listed below:

acknowledge	admit	advise
allow	anticipate	appreciate
can’t help	consider	delay
detest	discontinue	discuss
like/dislike	dispute	endure
enjoy	explain	fear
feel like	finish	give up
keep	mention	mind
miss	omit	permit
picture	postpone	practice
prevent	propose	put off
recall	recommend	resent
resist	resume	risk
suggest	support	tolerate understand

For example:

He likes eating junk food.
Jenny admitted making a mistake.
I anticipate going out on a date.

II. Rules for adding ING suffix in English

In English, there are three important rules for adding ING suffix that you need to grasp in order to use them accurately. Let's take a look at them right away!

1. Regular rules

The most common rules for adding ING suffix to English verbs is simply adding ING to the end of the verb.

For example:

Listen ➡ Listening
Kick ➡ Kicking
Eat ➡ Eating
Finish ➡ Finishing
Drink ➡ Drinking
Enjoy ➡ Enjoying
Help ➡ Helping
Want ➡ Wanting

2. Last letter rules

In addition to the regular rules for adding ING suffix, you need to pay special attention to the last letter(s) of the verb to properly apply the ING suffix.

Last letter rules for adding ING suffix
Last letter	Rule	Example
e	When the last letter of the verb is "e", you simply remove the "e" and add the ING suffix.	Dance ➡ Dancing Smile ➡ Smiling Choose ➡ Choosing Believe ➡ Believing Receive ➡ Receiving Take ➡ Taking Freeze ➡ Freezing
ee	When the last two letters of the verb are "e", you just add the ING suffix at the end, following the regular rule.	See ➡ Seeing Guarantee ➡ Guaranteeing Agree ➡ Agreeing Decree ➡ Decreeing Flee ➡ Fleeing
c	When the last letter of the verb is "c", the rule for adding ING suffix is to add a "k" before adding ING to the end of the verb.	Picnic ➡ Picnicking Frolic ➡ Frolicking Traffic ➡ Trafficking Panic ➡ Panicking Mimic ➡ Mimicking
ie	When the last two letters of the verb are "ie", you only need to change "ie" to "y" and then add the ING suffix.	Tie ➡ Tying Untie ➡ Untying Die ➡ Dying Lie ➡ Lying Vie ➡ Vying Exceptional cases: Pie ➡ Pieing

3. Vowel and final consonant rules

Furthermore, you need to pay attention to the vowel and final consonant of the verb to accurately apply the rules for adding ING suffix:

Vowel and final consonant rules for adding ING suffix	Example
When the verb has one syllable and the last letters are "vowel + consonant", you need to double the final consonant before adding ING to the end. Note: Except for cases where the final consonants are h, w, x, y.	Jog ➡ Jogging Hop ➡ Hopping Run ➡ Running Cut ➡ Cutting Swim ➡ Swimming Plan ➡ Planning Sit ➡ Sitting Get ➡ Getting Exceptional cases: Push ➡ Pushing Chew ➡ Chewing Mix ➡ Mixing Enjoy ➡ Enjoying
When the verb has one syllable and the last letters are "2 vowels + 1 consonant" or "consonant + consonant", you simply add the ING suffix at the end following the regular rule.	Read ➡ Reading Sweep ➡ Sweeping Jump ➡ Jumping Help ➡ Helping Walk ➡ Walking Look ➡ Looking Cook ➡ Cooking Talk ➡ Talking
When the verb has two syllables and the stress falls on the first syllable and the last letters are "vowel + consonant", you simply add the ING suffix at the end following the regular rule.	Visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ ➡ Visiting Open /ˈoʊpən/ ➡ Opening Follow /ˈfɑːloʊ/ ➡ Following Happen /ˈhæpən/ ➡ Happening Enter /ˈɛntər/ ➡ Entering Offer /ˈɔːfər/ ➡ Offering
When the verb has two syllables and the stress falls on the last syllable and the last letters are "vowel + consonant", you need to double the final consonant before adding ING suffix at the end of the verb. Note: In cases where the verb ends with "l," Americans usually do not double the "l" at the end, but the British still double the "l" before adding ING suffix.	Occur /əˈkɜːr/ ➡ Occurring Commit /kəˈmɪt/ ➡ Committing Begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ ➡ Beginning Prefer /prɪˈfɜːr/ → Preferring Travel /ˈtrævəl/ ➡ Traveling/Travelling Cancel /ˈkænsəl/ ➡ Canceling/Cancelling

III. Exercise on the rules for adding ING suffix with Answers

After learning the theoretical rules for adding ING suffix in English, let's apply our knowledge to practice the following small exercise:

Exercise: Adding ING suffix to the verbs

1. Dance	2. Sing	3. Write	4. Swim
5. Run	6. Play	7. Read	8. Study
9. Shop	10. Sleep	11. Jump	12. Talk
13. Paint	14. Drive	15. Listen	16. Cook

Answer:

1. Dancing	2. Singing	3. Writing	4. Swimming
5. Running	6. Playing	7. Reading	8. Studying
9. Shopping	10. Sleeping	11. Jumping	12. Talking
13. Painting	14. Driving	15. Listening	16. Cooking

Now you know the rules for adding ING suffix in English, right? This article has provided a complete compilation of cases and detailed rules for adding ING suffix, along with examples and specific exercises. Save it for practice and effective exam preparation!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.