The ending “ed” in English grammar: rules and examples

The English language is impressive with its complex grammar, but one of the most common grammatical constructions is the ending “ed“. This article offers an overview of this important grammatical element and provides examples of its use. You will learn when to use the “ed” ending and basic grammar rules.

Why do you need to add the ending “ed” in English?

The ending “ed” is formed by adding these letters to the stem of the verb. This form is used to form past tenses and participles in many English verbs. It is extremely useful because it helps to express events that happened in the past or to describe a state or work in progress at the moment.

Table of rules for adding “ed”

The ending of the verb	Rules for adding “ed”
Consonant	Add “ed” to the base of the verb. For example: work -> worked
Vowel	Add “ed” to the verb stem, but in some cases there may be a change in spelling and pronunciation. For example: dance -> danced
Ending “-e”	Add “d” to the base of the verb. For example: like -> liked
Ending “-ee”	Add “d” to the verb stem if the verb ends in “ee”. For example: agree -> agreed
Ending “-y”	Change “y” to “i” and add “ed” to the verb stem if the verb ends in “y” and the “y” is preceded by a consonant sound. For example: study -> studied
Doubling of consonants	If the verb ends in a short vowel sound, double the last consonant letter before adding “ed.” For example: stop -> stopped
Doubling “-l”	If the verb ends in “l” and is preceded by a short vowel sound, double the “l” before adding “ed.” For example: travel -> traveled
Ending “-ic”	Add “ked” to verbs ending in -ic. For example: panic -> panicked
Irregular verbs	Irregular verbs have irregular past tense forms and participles that do not follow the usual rules. For example: go -> went, eat -> eaten
Invariable verbs	Some verbs have an invariable form in the past tense, for example: put -> put, read -> read

Forming the past tense from the ending “ed”

Let’s consider the general scheme of forming the past tense for verbs when adding the ending “ed”.

The ending “ed” is used to form the past tense in English. For verbs that end in a consonant, simply add “ed” to the stem. Example:

• talk  -> talked
• work  -> worked

For verbs that end in a vowel, she adds “ed,” but some changes may occur in pronunciation and spelling. Example:

• dance  -> danced
• create  -> created

However, there are certain peculiarities, as the verbs are different, have different number of syllables and have different endings, and this affects their transformation into the past tense. Let’s consider the most important of them.

Forming the past tense of verbs ending in “-e”

For verbs ending in “e”, “ed” is added directly, without any additional changes:

• like  -> liked

Forming the past tense of verbs ending in “-ee”

The ending “ed” is added to verbs ending in “ee” as follows:

If the verb ends in “ee,” add “d” to the verb stem to form the past tense. Example:

• agree  -> agreed
• see  -> saw

Note that for verbs that end in “ee” and have “ee” sounds, the ending “ed” is added as a “d,” not a “t,” to form the past tense.

Forming the past tense of verbs ending in “-y”

The ending “ed” is added to verbs ending in “y” according to the following rules:

1. If the verb ends in “y” and this “y” is preceded by a consonant sound, then to form the past tense, change “y” to “i” and add “ed” to the base of the verb. Example:
   • study  -> studied
   • cry  -> cried
2. However, if the verb ends in “y” and is preceded by a vowel sound, then we keep “y” and add “ed” to the base of the verb without changes. Example:
   • play  -> played
   • enjoy  -> enjoyed

These rules help to correctly form the past tense for verbs ending in “y,” depending on whether there is a consonant or a vowel sound before the “y.”

Doubling consonants when forming the past tense

The ending “ed” is added to verbs with doubling of consonants according to the following rule:

If the verb ends in a short vowel sound and is preceded by a consonant sound, double the last consonant letter before adding “ed.” This rule applies to words where a short vowel sound is written with one letter (for example, “stop,” “run,” “plan”).

Example:

• stop  -> stopped
• run  -> ran
• plan  -> planned

This rule is important for the correct formation of the past tense for verbs where short vowel sounds are doubled before the ending “ed.”

Doubling “-l” for past tense

The ending “ed” is added to verbs with the doubling of the letter “l” according to the following rule:

If the verb ends in “l” and there is a short vowel before this “l”, double the letter “l” before adding “ed.” This rule applies to words where a short vowel sound is written as one letter (for example, “travel,” “cancel”).

Example:

• travel  -> travelled
• cancel  -> cancelled

This rule helps to correctly form the past tense for verbs where the letter “l” is doubled before the ending “ed.”

Forming the past tense of verbs ending in “-ic”

The ending “ed” is added to verbs ending in “ic” as follows:

For verbs that end in “ic,” add “ked” to the verb stem to form the past tense. Example:

• panic  -> panicked
• critic  -> criticized

This rule helps to correctly form the past tense form for verbs that have the ending “-ic”.

Irregular verbs and invariant verbs when forming the past tense

Some verbs in the English language have an unchanged form in the past tense and past participle, and they do not add the “ed” ending. These verbs are often referred to as irregular verbs. Let’s take a closer look at this important aspect of English grammar.

Irregular verbs are categorized based on how their forms change in the past tense and past participle. Some common categories of irregular verbs include:

1. Verbs with the same form in the base and past tense: Some verbs remain unchanged in both the base (infinitive) form and the past tense, meaning they do not alter their form. For example, verbs like “cut” and “put” have the same form in both their base and past tense.
   • He cuts the paper.
   • He cut the paper yesterday.
2. Verbs with irregular past tense forms: Some verbs have irregular past tense forms that do not follow the regular rule of adding “ed.” For instance, the verb “go” has the past tense form “went” instead of “goed.”
   • She goes to school every day.
   • She went to school yesterday.
3. Verbs with different forms for the past tense and past participle: Some verbs have distinct forms for the past tense and past participle, and these forms can be significantly different from the base form. For example, the verb “write” has the past tense form “wrote” and the past participle form “written.”
   • She writes a letter.
   • She wrote a letter yesterday.
   • The letter is written.

Irregular verbs in English can be a challenge to learn because their forms deviate from the regular rules. Therefore, it is essential to memorize these irregular forms as they are commonly used in speech and writing.

Formation of Adjectives with “ed”

The “ed” ending is also used to create adjectives in English. This form describes a state or feeling that arises as a result of an action. Adjectives are often used to modify nouns in sentences. For example:

• excite  -> excited
• interest  -> interested

Usage of the “ed” Ending

The “ed” ending is used to describe actions and states that occurred in the past. It helps us narrate our experiences and events. For example:

• “I watched a movie last night.”
• “She was excited about the party.”

The “ed” ending can also be used to describe how we feel or what we are interested in:

• “I am interested in learning new languages.”
• “He is tired after a long day at work.”

The “ed” ending is an essential part of English grammar that allows us to express past events and describe states or feelings. Understanding its rules and usage will facilitate communication and language learning. Keep in mind that there are exceptions and irregular verbs, so practice is key to making the use of the “ed” ending more natural and confident.