Flashcards on English Punctuation and Spelling Rules
English Punctuation and Spelling Rules: The Ultimate Guide
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English Spelling: Spelling Change Rules and Suffixes
26 cards
Card 1
Question: What's the general rule when a word ends in a consonant + 'y' before adding a suffix (except for '-ing' or 's')?
Answer: Change the 'y' to 'i' before the suffix (e.g., happy + ly → happily; study + es → studies).
Card 2
Question: Provide two examples of 'y' changing to 'i' when forming a new word: one with '-ed' and one with '-ful'.
Answer: apply + ed → applied; beauty + ful → beautiful.
Card 3
Question: Which suffixes do not allow the 'y' to change to 'i' when a word ends in a consonant + 'y'?
Answer: Do not change the 'y' before '-ing' or before 's' (e.g., studying; the spy’s name).
Card 4
Question: What exceptions exist where the 'y' after a consonant is kept in single-syllable words?
Answer: Some monosyllabic words keep the 'y': dryness, shyness, slyness.
Card 5
Question: Why is the 'y' kept in the word 'busyness' before the suffix?
Answer: The 'y' is kept in 'busyness' to distinguish it from 'business'.
Card 6
Question: What rule applies when a word ends in a vowel + 'y' before a suffix?
Answer: Normally, the 'y' is kept (e.g., employ + er → employer; play + ful → playful; destroy + s → destroys).
Card 7
Question: Provide two examples where the 'y' after a vowel does not change, and two with '-ed' and '-ment' suffixes.
Answer: Kept: employ + er → employer; destroy + s → destroys. With suffixes: spray + ed → sprayed; pay + ment → payment.
Card 8
Question: Mention exceptions where the 'y' after a vowel *does* change to 'i'.
Answer: Exceptions: daily, laid, paid, said, slain (the 'y' changes to 'i').
Card 9
Question: Give examples of the 'y' changing to 'i' in words related to '-ion' or '-ation'.
Answer: ratify + cation → ratification; mystery + ous → mysterious.
Card 10
Question: What is a suffix and what is an inflection in English?
Answer: A suffix is an ending added to a word to form another word (e.g., help → helpful). An inflection is a type of suffix that creates another form of the