SUFFIXES- - other rules

When adding a suffix to a one-syllable word, if the root word ends in only one consonant and has only one vowel before it, and if the suffix begins with a vowel, then the consonant ending the root word will be doubled.

For example, when adding -ing to can, we double the n to end up with canning,  swimming,  running. Or begged, hottest, reddish, flatten, stopped, druggist, shipper, trekker, etc. 

This doubling of the consonant keeps the pronunciation from changing, as in:  hop + ing = hopping;  not  hope + ing = hoping (the o is long because of the i). 

Common endings beginning with vowels: -ing, -ice, -ous, -er, -ish, -ist, -ed, -age, -ible, -est, -ance, -ant, -able, -ably, -y, -al, -en, -ence, -ent, -ancy, -ency

The rule for multisyllable words is the same, but applies only when the last syllable of the root is accented, like in beginner and concurring, but not in begins or forgetful. 

Examples: 

For words ending in silent e, when the suffix begins with a vowel, that silent e is usually dropped before adding the suffix. For example, in take and -ing, we drop the silent e off of take, then add the suffix, and end up with taking.

Generally we do not let two vowels come too close together when we add a suffix beginning with a vowel,  so in many words wwe must drop the final “e”:   such as in mistake + able = mistakable, coming, famous, forgivable, desirable, moving, surer, smoking, bridal, gluable, nervous, behavior, believable… 

But we DO NOT DROP THE FINAL “e” IF THE MEANING of the word could change, or it could be misread:  singe +ing = singeing not singing.  Or ageing, blueing, lungeing, routeing, hoeing, twingeing, syringeing, forseeable, mileage, sizeable, etc.

Sometimes we DO NOT DROP THE FINAL “e” when it helps keep the “c” or “g” sounding soft:   knowledge + able = knowledgeable, courageous, peaceable, replaceable, traceable, noticeable…

SUFFIXES     … when the word ends in “y”????

An English word can consist of three parts: the root, a prefix, and a suffix. The root is the part of the word that contains the basic meaning, or definition of the word. The prefix is a word element placed in front of the root, which changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. A suffix is a word element placed after the root, which changes the word's meaning as well as its function.

When adding a suffix to a word ending in y, if there is a vowel before the y, just add the suffix. For example, obey + -ed becomes obeyed. If there is a consonant before the y, we will usually change the y to an i before adding any suffix (except -ing and -ish.) For example, angry + ly becomes angrily, and baby + -ing becomes babying, carry +ed= carried.

Common Suffixes

Suffixes	Meaning	Example
-er	doer	I work as a computer programmer.
-able	able	These glass bottles are recyclable.
-ous	full of	Driving on the freeway can be dangerous.
-ness	state of being	At night, the earth is covered in darkness.
-ful	full of	The witness gave an honest and truthful testimony.
-ly or -y	like	James whistled happily on his way home from school.
-ment	state of	Mary sighed with contentment.

For nouns ending in the letter y, to form the plural replace the ending y with ies. For example: (change the y to I and add es) such as in:

Examples:   baby/babies, story/stories, poppy/poppies, baby/babies, daisy/daisies, spy/spies, lady/ladies

Note that for words ending in y preceded by a vowel (a complex vowel sound), an s is simply added, as usual. For example:

day/days,  toy/toys, essay/essays, turkey/turkeys, chimney/chimneys, play/plays, joy/joys, valley/valleys, alley/alleys, volley/volleys

Commonly Misspelled Words

COMMONLY  MISSPELLED  WORDS  part A

There are some frequently used words that are important to memorize.   They are often misspelled even by native speakers and misunderstandings can result. For that reason it is important to learn their meanings and spelling. In today’s modern life of texting and short forms in emails, words that can be misunderstood should not be shortened.  Communication does not occur if the other person does not understand.

Ache                      could                     here                      read                       too

Again                     country                  hoarse                   ready                     trouble

Always                  dear                       hour                      said                        truly

Among                  doctor                    instead                  says                       Tuesday

Answer                 does                      just                        seems                    two

Any                       done                     knew                     separate                 used

Been                      don’t                     laid                       shoes                     very

Beginning               early                      loose                    since                      wear

Believe                   easy                      lose                      some                     Wednesday

Blue                       enough                  making                 straight                   week

Break                    every                     many                    sugar                     where

Built                      February                meant                   sure                       whether

Business                forty                      minute                 tear                        which

Busy                     friend                    much                     their                      whole

Buy                       grammar              none                      there                     woman

Can’t                     guess                    often                     they                       won’t

Choose                 half                        once                      though                 would

Colour                   having                   piece                     through                 write

Coming                 hear                       quiet                     tired                      writing

Cough                   heard                    raise                      tonight                 wrote

Hay algunos palabras que se usa frecuentemente que vale el trabajo de memorizar su definiciones y como se escribe.  Aun hay personas nativos que los escriben mal y eso puede causar un mal entendido. En la vida moderna de mensajes de texto y correo electrónico con abreviaciones, palabras que pueden ser mal entendidos no las deben acortar.  No hay comunicación si la segunda persona no entiende lo que escribe la primera.  

Make?? or Do??

MAKE??  or  DO??  

As an ordinary verb “do” means to perform an action, or occupy oneself with something. 

Examples: What is Jan doing in Vermont?  She is not doing anything- she is making a speech and making new friends in a new language. The treatment is doing me good... it is reducing the pain.

“Make” in the dictionary is defined:

to produce something as in constructing material or joining parts,

to bring about (make trouble),

to prepare for use…made dinner / a bed

to bring a person or thing to do something, come to have or be by work…he will make a good scholar

to lay down …as rules, or form in the mind… a decision

to judge as to a person’s nature… what do you make of him

to serve for given purpose .. this makes good reading

to reach by traveling… make one’s destination

to deliver,  as a speech, or cause to appear

Do= hacer, obrar, ejecutar, terminar, desempeñar, representar, asar, cocer, recorrer, cumplir con, peinar, rendir, tributar, resolver problema, limpiar el cuarto, actuar, proceder, convenir, ser suficiente, estar, encontrarse, etc.

Make= hacer, crear, formar, construir, practicar, ejecutar, efectuar, constituir, causar, ocasionar, componer, producir, terminar, acabar, creer, deducir, inferir, calcular, ganar, obtener, granjear, adquirir, server de, portarse como, convenir en, forzar, obligar, compeler, inclinar, inducir, fabricar, confeccionar, elaborar, aderezar, preparar, disponer, arreglar, alcanzar, llegar a, etc. 

También cada uno tiene usos en instantes particulares… tipo idiomáticos… consulta un diccionario para una visión más amplia que estos pocos ejemplos de los más comunes:

Progresos…make progress

Caras…. Make faces

Tortas… make a cake

Escojes… make a choice

Charla… make a speech

Amistades… make friends

Problemas… make trouble

Esfuerzo… make an effort

Pelicula… make a film

Chiste… make a joke

Alzarse con… make off with

Recobrar tiempo perdido… make up lost time

Tareas de casa… do housework

Jardineria… do the gardening

Compras… do the shopping

Negocios… do business

Lavar los platos… do the dishes

Tareas de estudios… do homework

Repetir… do over again

No vale/ sirve… that won’t do

No tener nada que ver con…. Have nothing to do with  

Fechas y Tiempos/ Dates and Times

Writing Dates and Times

Rule: The following examples apply when using dates: (Las siguientes ejemplos aplican con el uso de las fechas.)
The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
The 1st of April puts some people on edge.

Rule: When expressing decades, you may spell them out and lowercase them. (Cuando uses las décadas, puedes deletrearlas en minúscula.)
Example: During the eighties and nineties, the United States economy grew.

Rule: Whether you express decades using incomplete or complete numerals, do not use an apostrophe between the year and the s. When using an incomplete numeral, use an apostrophe to replace the first two numbers. (Cuando expresas décadas usando numerales completas o incompletas, no usas un apostrofo entre el año y el s de plural. Cuando usas un numeral incompleto, usa un apostrofo para reponer los primeros dos números.)
Correct: (Correctos)
During the ’80s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980s, the world’s economy grew.
Incorrect: (No correctos)
During the ‘80’s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980’s, the world’s economy grew.

Rule: Spell out the time of day in text even with half and quarter hours. With o’clock, the number is always spelled out. (Escribe la hora del día en texto aun con media horas. Con “o’clock”, el numero siempre se deletrea.)
Examples:
She gets up at four thirty before the baby wakes up.
The baby wakes up at five o’clock in the morning.

Rule: Use numerals with the time of day when exact times are being emphasized. (Usa números con la hora del día cuando la hora esta enfatizado.)
Examples:
Her flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.
Please arrive by 12:30 p.m. sharp.

Rule: Use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. (Usar “medio-día” y “media-noche” en vez de 12:00 a.m. o 12:00 p.m.) Note: You may use AM and PM rather than a.m. and p.m. (Puedes usar AM y PM en vez de a.m. y p.m.)

Rule: The dash may be used between numbers or dates to indicate to and and. (Puedes usar el guión entre los números o las fechas para indicar “a” e “y”.
His chapter covered from 1860-1868.
My appointment was scheduled from 12:15—1:15.

Rule: The comma is not used in years…. I was born in 1933. (La coma no se usa en años)

Rule: In American English the day and the month are reversed. (En Inglés de USA, el día y mes están al revés).
October 31, 2011 or 10/31/11. And spoken: October 5, 2004 - October (the) fifth, two thousand and four.

Words often confused

WORDS  OFTEN  CONFUSED   Use your dictionary to complete the sentences using the correct meaning of the words. Notice the difference in Pronunciation. 

Palabras que frecuentemente se confunden.  Usa el diccionario para completar las oraciones con la palabra y significado correcta.  Nota la diferencia en pronunciación.

1.  through / though/ thought / thorough

You must finish your work even ………………………. You are tired.

We must give the house a ………………………… cleaning.

The dog dashed ………………….the gate and down the road.

Betty ……………………………….. she had the right answer, but she was not sure.  

2. bought/ brought

The buyer went to Caracas and …………………………… clothes for the new store.

I ………………….. my book with me so that I could read.

3. accept/ except/ expect

I did not …………… you to eat all of the cake.

I will give you the book if you will …………….. it.

Everyone ………………… Terry has work to finish. 

Negativos- Negative Sentences

NEGATIVE SENTENCES:

In English you may only use one negative word in a single clause.  The error is called the “double negative.” The two negative expressions give the clause an affirmative meaning:  Nobody did nothing means Everybody did something.  Use an affirmative verb with negative expressions…. We didn’t see anybody / We saw nobody.

Examples:

Wrong- I haven’t seen no one.  Correct: I haven’t seen anyone. I have seen no one.

Wrong- I haven’t done nothing wrong.  Correct: I haven’t done anything wrong. I have done nothing wrong.

Wrong-  We don’t have not school today.  Correct:  We don’t have school today.  We have no school today.

Wrong- Didn’t Ann say she couldn’t find nobody?  Correct: Didn’t Ann say she couldn’t find anybody?  Didn’t Ann say she could find nobody?

Wrong- I haven’t but a dollar.  Correct: I have but a dollar. I haven’t more than a dollar.

Wrong- We didn’t have hardly any food left.   Correct: We had hardly any food left.  We didn’t have any food left.

Practice:  Write sentences using the following words correctly, without using double negatives:  hardly, nothing, but, wouldn’t, barely, scarcely, no, never. 

En Ingles solamente puedes usar una palabra negativa en una clausula. El error se llama  “doble negativo”.. y las dos expresiones negativas dan a la clausula un contexto positivo.  “Nadie hizo nada” tiene el significado de “Alguien hizo algo.” Usa un verbo positivo con expresiones negativas.  No vimos a alguien/  Vimos a nadie.   (En Español no tiene significado pero así se dice en Ingles.)

Consonant Diagraph WH

/WH/  is a consonant diagraph.    

/wh/ pronounced  /hw/	When “wh” is said, air should be felt softly on the palm of your hand held before your mouth. Usually an initial sound. Cuando formas (wh/, debes sentir el aire suavemente con su mano en frente de tu boca.  Usualmente wh es un sonido al comienzo de una palabra.	Whip, why, whiz, whit, which, when, whisk, whisper, white, when, wheel, where, wheelbarrow, wheat
Consonant /w/	No air felt when saying “w” as in we, with, or wear. No debes sentir aire cuando diciendo el /w/ como en…	Wit, win, wet, wag, was, web, well, wed, wasp, watch
Sometimes “wh” sounds like /h/ . A veces el “wh” suena como /h/.		Whole, whose, whom, who

Here is a fun tongue twister:  Whether the weather is warm, whether the weather is hot, we have to put up with the weather, whether we like it or not. 

Thought for the week:  Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have—so spend it wisely.

El ayer es un cheque cancelado; el mañana un pagaré; el presente es el único efectivo que tienes; úsalo con sabiduría. Trapeador: Aprovechar el tiempo, 7.

CONSONANT DIAGRAPH TH:

CONSONANT DIAGRAPH  TH:   

Sound-  sonido	Formed- formación	Examples-  ejemplos
/th/   or    /θ/	The breath hisses between the tongue tip and the upper teeth… called “voiceless”  *La respiración esta forcado entre la punta de la lengua y los dientes frontales de arriba…. Entonces se llama “sin voz”	Thing, Seth, thank, think, three, thin, moth, cloth, sixth, depth, three, thief, broth, thigh , ether:
/th/  or   /ð/	The tongue position is the same but the voice is used to give sound as the air is forced out… called “voiced”. La posición de la lengua es la misma pero se usa la voz mientras que la respiración esta forcado para afuera… entonces se llama “con voz”.	This, That, these, those, then, them, though, they, than,  thy,  the, thou, thee, their, father, mother, thine, either,
Not to be confused with compound words No se confunda con palabras compuestos	The t and h are pronounced separately, being part of different words. El t y h se pronuncia individualmente, siendo parte de diferentes palabras.	anthill, outhouse, lighthouse, pothead, Chatham

Practice this tongue twister:    The bathing beauty sisters thought that their two brothers took longer lathering their hair than both their thin thrifty mother and toothless father.

The distribution pattern may be summed up in the following rule of thumb which is valid in most cases: in the beginning of a word we use the voiceless sound except in function words; in the middle position we use the voiced  /ð/ sound except for foreign loan words; and in the end of a word we use the voiceless  /θ/ sound except in verbs.

El patrón de distribución puede ser resumido en la regla siguiente que es válida en la mayoría de los casos:  para el comienzo de una palabra usamos el sonido /th/ sin voz con la excepción de palabras de función;   en la mitad de una palabra usamos el /th/ con voz excepto en palabras prestados de otras idiomas;  y al final de una palabra usamos el /th/ sin voz excepto en verbos.

Consonant Diagraph "SH"

CONSONANT  DIAGRAPH “SH”:  This blend of two letters which makes  the new sound (diagraph) SH, is the sound that you make as if to mean “be quiet” or “silence”.  This same sound may be spelled by other combinations of letters: su, ss, ci and ti. See the chart.

/sh/ sound formed by the letters:

Letters-letras	Examples- ejemplos
sh	Wish, mesh, flesh, fish, slosh, flash, ship, brush, cash, dish
su	Sugar, sure, insure, insurance
ss	Russia, issue
ci	Special, commercial, ancient, physician, appreciate, ancient
ti	Nation, station, motion, action, patient, impatient, mention

Practice this common tongue twister to differentiate the simple /s/ and /sh/ sounds:  She sells sea shells on the sea shore. 

“Consonant diagraph”= dos consonantes que combinan para hacer un solo sonido SH, lo cual es el sonido que haces para indicar “tranquilízate” o “silencio”.  Este mismo sonido puede ser deletreado por otras combinaciones de letras: ss, su, ci, y ti.  Vea el grafico.

Práctica esta traga lengua común para diferenciar el simple /s/ del /sh/.  

Thought of the week:  The ability to speak several languages is valuable, but the art of keeping silent in one is precious when necessary. 

Pensamiento de la Semana: La habilidad de hablar en varias idiomas es valiosa, pero el arte de mantener silencio en una es precioso cuando necesario.