If a vowel comes before the -y, what happens to the verb?

1. Double the last letter before adding -ed
2. Keep the -y and add -ing or -ed
3. Change the -y to -i and add -ed
4. Remove the -y before adding -ing

Question

High School

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Answer :

danjohnbrain danjohnbrain · Answer 1 · 2023-09-29T13:13:58-04:00

To answer your question, let's focus on what happens to a verb that ends in -y when it is preceded by a vowel.

When a vowel comes before the -y in a verb, the rule is straightforward: Keep the -y and add -ing or -ed.

Here's why and how it works:

Why: In English, when there's a vowel before the -y, such as in the word 'play', the spelling doesn't change when forming other tenses because the verb is already considered stable in form. This rule helps maintain the correct pronunciation and prevents altering the word's base too much, which could lead to confusion.
How it Works:
1. If adding -ing to the verb, simply attach -ing to the end. For example, "play" becomes "playing".
2. If adding -ed to form the past tense, append -ed to the end. For instance, "play" becomes "played".

Therefore, the correct choice in the context of the verb forming rule is: Option 2: Keep the -y and add -ing or -ed.

This keeps things straightforward and aligns with standard English language practices.