Lesson 13 Spelling
There are a few more rules governing the spelling of derivative words. Words ending in silent e keep the e before the suffix beginning with a consonant. Notice the following words:
| excite | excitement |
| like | likeness |
| force | forceful |
| shame | shameless |
| lone | lonesome |
| live | lively |
Words ending in silent e drop the e before the suffix beginning with a vowel, as:
| excite | excitable |
| live | living |
| grieve | grievous |
| force | forcible |
Some words ending in silent e retain the e before the suffix beginning with a vowel, to prevent a change in the pronunciation or to preserve the identity of the word. Notice the following words:
| peace | peaceable |
| courage | courageous |
| singe | singeing |
| change | changeable |
| shoe | shoeing |
| notice | noticeable |
These are words ending in the soft sound of c and g, where the e is retained to preserve the correct pronunciation of the c and g, and with some few words like toe, dye, etc., where the dropping of the e would lose the identity of the word.
The e is dropped in a few words before the suffix beginning with a consonant, as in wholly, nursling, judgment, wisdom, lodgment.
Add the suffixes ment and ing to the words in Monday’s lesson; the suffix able to the words for Tuesday and Wednesday; the suffixes some and ous to the words for Thursday; the suffixes ly or ness to the words for Friday and Saturday.
Monday
Excite
Advise
Chastise
Disfranchise
Enslave
Tuesday
Manage
Receive
Blame
Exchange
Imagine
Wednesday
Admire
Service
Desire
Peace
Pronounce
Thursday
Whole
Meddle
Courage
Advantage
Outrage
Friday
Accurate
Positive
False
Definite
Distinct
Saturday
Agreeable
Careful
Awful
Sure
Secure