By the end of this activity you will be able to: Add ‘ing’ to create new words.

Look carefully at these two words: tap and tape. Say them aloud. Can you hear the difference in the vowel sounds? Try these: hop and hope. You should hear a short vowel sound in one of the words, and a long vowel sound in the other.

Now look what happens to the same words when the suffix ing is added. How does the vowel sound affect what happens?

tap becomes tapping

tape becomes taping

hop becomes hopping

hope becomes hoping

These words also have short vowels – look carefully at how the suffix ing is added.

camp becomes camping

catch becomes catching

help becomes helping

post becomes posting

Now add ing to each of these words.