TS Inter 1st Year English Grammar Spelling: Missing Letters

Q.No. 15 (8 × 1/2- 4 Marks)

English spelling poses problems to learners. This is because of a) no one letter-one sound relationship b) silent letters and c) words borrowed from other languages and so on.

Though there are some rules and generalizations that MAY HELP improve one’s spelling, it is always good to develop a keen eye to the spelling of the words one comes across and to practise writing words as many times as possible, that too correctly.

• In the Intermediate Public Examination, usually the spelling of the words used in the selected lessons is tested.
• The words that have vowel clusters (as in rec£jve, entertain etc.) or the words that have doubled consonants (as in possible, success etc.) are generally set in the question paper.
• Careful observation of the spelling of commonly used but typically spelt words (like height, tuition etc.) will go a long way in helping the student improve spelling to a great extent.

Examples of some commonly misspelled words :

1. For adjectives that end in a consonant +y, ‘-y’ changes to ‘-ily’.
easy-easily
happy-happily
angry-angrily
Exceptions
shy-shyly
sly-slyly
coy-coyly

2. For adjectives that end in a consonant +le the ‘-le’ changes to ‘-ly’ after the consonant,
probable-probably
sensible-sensibly
idle-idly
noble-nobly
For adjectives that end in – ic, we add -ally.
tragic-tragically
automatic-automatically
Exception
public-publicly
The doubling of final consonants.
When a one syllable word ends with one vowel and consonant we double the final consonant before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.
bat-batting
dub-dubbing
sad-sadder
dig-digger
travel-travelled
confer-conferred

3. Spelling of regular verbs.
The past tense and past participle are the same in regular verbs.
i) We simply add – ed to the base form of the verb.
clear-cleared
walk-walked
visit-visited

ii) If the word ends in -e, we add -d.
like-liked
smile-smiled
hope-hoped

iii) For verbs ending in y preceded by two consonants, we change y to i before adding the suffix – ed.
hurry-hurried
reply-replied
try-tried

iv) For the verbs that end in a consonant, the final consonant is doubled when a suffix with an initial vowel letter is added.
rob-robbed
mop-mopped
drop-dropped

4. For ‘ie’ and ‘ei’
The general rule is that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’.
chief
grief
relieve
But after ‘c’ ‘e’ comes before ‘i’.
receive
conceit
deceive
Note the exceptions
neighbour
weight
eight
weigh
seize
height

Here is a list of commonly misspelled words.

Exercise – A

Question1.

Fill in the blanks with either “ei” or “ie”

1. n _ _ ther
2. br _ _ f
3. sh _ _ ld
4. cr _ _ d
5. tr _ _ d
6. fr _ _ nd
7. th _ _ f
8. gr _ _ f
9. l _ _ sure
10. c _ _ ling
11. s _ _ ze

Answer:

1. n e i ther
2. br i e f
3. sh o u ld
4. cr e e d / cr i e d
5. tr i e d
6. fr i e nd
7. th i e f
8. gr i e f
9. l e i sure
10. c e i ling
11. s e i ze

Exercise – B

Question2.

Correct the following misspelled words.

1. foregn
2. lugage
3. liesure
4. knowlege
5. twelth
6. tomorow
7. gurantee
8. momonto
9. ilegal
10. restaurent

Answer:

1. foreign
2. luggage
3. leisure
4. knowledge
5. twelfth
6. tomorrow
7. guarantee
8. memento
9. illegal
10. restaurant

Exercise – C

1. Please ……………………….. (wait / weight) for me.
2. I went to market to ……………………….. (buy / bye) a toothbrush.
3. He may not ……………………….. (loose / lose) the match.
4. When Chief Justice came to our state, people from different walks of life went to ……………………….. (meat / meet) him.
5. Ahmad cut the paper into many a ……………………….. (piece / peace).
6. The letters on the board cannot be ……………………….. (scene / seen) clearly.
7. – My friend has a ……………………….. (stationery / stationary) shop.
8. It was a pretty ……………………….. (sight / cite).

Answer:

1. wait
2. buy
3. lose
4. meet
5. piece
6. seen
7. stationery
8. sight

Supply the missing letters in the following words.

Exercise – 1

i) sch _ _ l
ii) enc _ _ raging
iii) app _ _ rance
iv) exce _ _ ent
v) sp _ _ k
vi) a _ _ ention
vii) p _ _ pie
viii) kno _ _ edge
ix) di _ _ ipline
x) a _ _ ord

Answers:

i) sch o o l
ii) enc o u raging
iii) app e q rance
iv) exe l l ent
v) sp e a k
vi) a t t ention
vii) p e o ple
viii) kno w l edge
ix) di s c ipline
x) a f f ord

Exercise – 2

i) tea _ _ er
ii) gl _ _ my
iii) le _ _ on
iv) re _ _ect
v) f _ _ thful
vi) infl _ _ nce
vii) le _ _ ers
viii) pl _ _ sant
ix) su _ _ est
x) si _ _ le

Answer:

i) tea c h er
ii) gl o o my
iii) le s s on
iv) re s p ect
v) f a i thful
vi) infl u e nce
vii) le a d ers
viii) pl e a sant
ix) su g g est
x) si m p le

Exercise – 3

i) childh _ _ d
ii) p _ _ ce
iii) frus _ _ ation
iv) ha _ _ en
v) gra _ _ ar
vi) col _ _ r
vii) ang _ _ sh
viii) li _ _ten
ix) obed _ _ nt
x) mu _ _ le

Answer:

i) child o o d
ii) p i e ce
iii) frs t r ation
iv) ha p p en
v) gra m m ar
vi) col o u r
vii) ang u i sh
viii) li g h ten
ix) obed i e nt
x) mu s c le

Exercise – 4

i) g _ _de
ii) ma _ _ er
iii) mar _ _ es
iv) fi _ _ ing
v) ye _ _ow
vi) h _ _ lithly
vii) sq _ _ re
viii) lau _ _ed
ix) su _ _ect
x) hi _ _ly

Answer:

i) g u i de
ii) ma n n er/ ma t t er/ ma d d er/ma p p er
iii) mar b l es / mar c h es
iv) fi b b ing
v) ye l l ow
vi) h e a lthy
vii) sq u a re
viii) lau g h ed
ix) su s p ect
x) hi g h ly

Exercise – 5

i) hi _ _ top
ii) ba _ _ an
iiii) r _ _ tine
iv) conc _ _ ve
v) m _ _ ntain
vi) mi _ _ ion
vii) in _ _ edible
viii) mons _ _ n
ix) ca _ _ y
x) reco _ _ ition

Answer:

i) hi l l top
ii) ba n y an
iii) r o u tine
iv) con e i ve
v) m o u ntain
vi) mi s s ion / mi l l ion
vii) in c r edible
viii) mons o o n
ix) ca r r y
x) reco g n ition

Exercise – 6

i) sa _ _ ling
ii) rup _ _ s
iii) hu _ _ and
iv) res _ _ rces
v) s _ _ rce
vi) su _ _ icient
vii) ma _ _ ive
viii) vi _ _ age
ix) init _ _ tive
x) a _ _ roval

Answer:

i) sa p p ling
ii) rup e e s
iii) hu s b and
iv) res o u rces
v) s o u rce
vi) su f f icient
viii) ma s s ive
ix) init i a tive
x) a p p roval

Exercise – 7

i) pers _ _ de
ii) flu _ _ er
iii) p _ _ nce
iv) ex _ _ ode
v) a _ _ empt
vi) br _ _th
vii) hu _ _ red
viii) pa _ _ ive
ix) co _ _ apse
x) thr _ _ ten

Answer:

i) per u a de
ii) flu t t er
iii) p o u nce
iv) ex p l ode
v) a t t empt
vi) br e a th
vii) hu n d red
viii) pa s s ive
ix) co l l apse
x) thr e a ten

Exercise – 8

i) thr _ _ gh
ii) sli _ _ tly
iii) gr _ _ nd
iv) wo _ _ y
v) sp _ _ d
vi) ang _ _ sh
vii) prev _ _ us
viii) mi _ _ t
ix) rec _ _ ve
x) p _ _ ce

Answer:

i) thr o u gh
ii) sli g h tly
iii) gr o u nd
iv) wo r r y
v) sp e e d
vi) ang u i sh
vii) prev i o us
viii) mi g h t
ix) rec e i ve
x) p i e ce / p e a ce

Exercise – 9

i) cro _ _ ed
ii) em _ _ atic
iii) tr _ _ ble
iv) consc _ _ us
v) pl _ _ sant
vi) dr _ _ dful
vii) chi _ _ ey
viii) pu _ _ le
ix) incr _ _ se
x) de _ _ ive / de _ _ ive

Answer:

i) cro p p ed / cro w n ed
ii) em p h atic
iii) tr o u ble
iv) cons i o us
v) pl e a sant
vi) dr e a dful
vii) chi m n ey
viii) pu z z le
ix) incr e a se
x) de p r ive / de c e ive

Exercise – 10

i) app _ _ r
ii) wo _ _ le
iii) tre _ _le
iv) con _ _ ary
v) cr _ _ m
vi) com _ _ ain
vii) f _ _ lt
viii) req _ _ st
ix) enc _ _ nter
x) acq _ _ int

Answer:

i) app e a r
ii) wo b b le
iii) tre m b le
iv) con t r ary
v) cr e a m
vi) com p l ain
vii) f a u lt
viii) req u e st
ix) enc o u nter
x) acq u a int