1. Structural Analysis:
Inflections –ed & -ing

2. sail ing sailing chart ed charted
Each of these words begin with a root word. They are verbs.
The endings are added to the words to tell about an action that is ongoing -ing or to tell about the past -ed.

3. sail ing sailing The base word sail is a verb.
Adding the ending (-ing) causes the word to tell about an action that is ongoing.
The ending -ing always forms its own syllable when it is attached to a root word (not in words such as sing and ring where it is part of the root word).

4. chart ed charted The base word chart is a verb.
Adding the ending (-ed) causes the word to tell about a past action.
The ending (-ed) may or may not form its own syllable. Remember, in order for it to be a syllable it must have a vowel sound.

5. Examples: greet fear This word has one syllable. greeting fearing
Adding –ing makes it have two syllables. So, -ing is its own syllable.
greeted
feared
Adding –ed makes it have two syllables. You can hear the short vowel /e/ in ed in this syllable.
Adding –ed doesn’t change the number of syllables in this word. So, -ed is not its own syllable.
If you are unsure of whether a word ending in –ed has an added syllable or not, try pronouncing it both ways to see which one sounds correct.

6. Try these.
Sort these into groups according to the number of syllables they have.
(Go in order left to right, top row first.)

7. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables

8. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
departed

9. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
delayed
departed

10. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
delayed
departed
reported

11. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
reported

12. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
rooting
reported

13. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
rooting
reported
ordered

14. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
missed
rooting
reported
ordered

15. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
missed
rooting
reported
ordered
coming

16. departed delayed reported cheered rooting ordered missed coming
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
cheered
delayed
departed
missed
rooting
reported
ordered
coming

17. Look in the story, “Nellie Bly: America’s Star Reporter
Look in the story, “Nellie Bly: America’s Star Reporter.” Find five more words with the –ed or –ing ending. List the words, pronounce them, and sort them by the number of syllables.