--- title: "Reading Inflectional Endings" description: "Read words containing taught GPCs with common inflectional endings (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er, -est) and the prefix un-; read multi-syllable words with taught patterns" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/reading-inflectional-endings-mt__CMXZiPfTV source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/reading-inflectional-endings-mt__CMXZiPfTV.md retrieved: 2026-10-19 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Reading Inflectional Endings Read words containing taught GPCs with common inflectional endings (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er, -est) and the prefix un-; read multi-syllable words with taught patterns Subject: English · Area: Phonics & Word Reading · Ages 5 to 7 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/reading-inflectional-endings-mt__CMXZiPfTV ## Ready when they can - Read suffixed words fluently (e.g. 'jumping', 'wanted', 'faster') - Identify the root word when a suffix is added - Read words with prefix un- (e.g. 'unhappy', 'undo') ## Lesson: Reading Words with Endings A root word carries the main meaning. Find the root and ending, then read them together. Read -ing with short i and ng, as at the end of sing. An -ing word can describe an action going on. The whole phrase tells when: 'is resting' is now; 'was resting' was before. *(drawing: Look plus ing makes looking. Read the root and ending together.)* Regular verbs often use -ed for a past action: 'Ben kicked the ball.' Remove -ed from kicked to find kick. Kicked ends with a t sound; played ends with a d sound. After a root ending in a t or d sound, -ed adds a spoken beat, as in waited. The prefix un- goes at the front of a word. It can mean not: unfair means not fair. It can also reverse an action: untie means undo a tie or knot. Read the prefix and root together. Keep them together as one written word. For a one-beat root with one vowel letter followed by one final consonant letter, double that consonant before -ing, -ed, -er or -est when the vowel is short. Do not double w, x or y. Hop becomes hopping; sad becomes saddest. Roots ending in two consonant letters, such as help, do not need another consonant before these endings. Remove a real ending to find a root. If a consonant was doubled, remove only the added copy: swimming loses -ing to leave swimm, then the extra m comes off to leave swim. Other spelling changes need other checks. Ring has no -ing ending. Compare roots to find related words. Read the root and ending together. The endings -er and -est compare things. Slower compares speed with something else. Slowest means slowest in the whole group. You can be slower than several people. Use -est when you mean the most of that quality in the group. For more than one, cup becomes cups, with an s sound. Bag becomes bags, with a z sound. After endings such as s, sh, ch or x, add -es: fox becomes foxes, with an extra spoken beat. Read the whole ending with its root. The ending -s can also mark a present-tense verb: 'She hums.' It is not a count of people. It has a z sound in hums. To find words with endings in a sentence, check every word. In 'The birds are singing', birds has -s and singing has -ing. **Recap.** Read roots, endings and prefixes together. Check spelling changes, and read the whole sentence to work out time and meaning. ## Practice 24 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Blending Sounds to Read Words](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/blending-sounds-to-read-words-mt__KHQttMde3) ## Opens up - [Word Parts as Clues](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/word-parts-as-clues-mt_aw0PldeT_L) - [Prefixes and suffixes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/prefixes-and-suffixes-mt_HrgDjxcWvf)