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English
Summary
When it comes to spelling, English can be quite tricky, but there are a few tips to help you remember how to spell words. In this summary, you will learn some of them.
A mnemonic is a tool used to help you remember certain things. In spelling, you can use a pattern, rhyme or saying to help you remember the way a word is put together.
Word | Example | Analyses |
| Necessary | It's necessary that a shirt has one collar and two sleeves. | This sentence can help you remember that the word 'necessary' has one collar (one 'c') and two sleeves (two 's'). |
An acrostic is another type of mnemonic. It is a piece of writing in which you take the first letters of a word you want to memorise and use these to form words in sentences; visually it looks like a poem. If you write the acrostic yourself, your chances of memorising something are much greater.
| E | lizabeth it is in vein you say |
| L | ove not - thou sayest it in so sweet way: |
| I | n vain those words from thee or L.E.L |
| Z | antippe's talents had enforced so well: |
| A | h! If that language from thy heart arise, |
| B | reathe it less gently forth - and veil thine eyes. |
| E | ndymion, recollect, when Luna tried |
| T | o cure his love - was cured of all beside - |
| H | is follie - pride - and passion - for he died. |
As you can see, the word 'Elizabeth' is written vertically and in front of each letter is a sentence. The sentences may or may not share a theme with the word written vertically.
When it comes to spelling, there are some rules you can follow. If you remember these rules, you can improve your spelling.
Rule | Example |
| The letter 'i' comes before 'e'. Except after 'c'. | believe / achieve receive / ceiling |
| In the past tense, add '-ed' to the end of the (regular) verb. | walk - walked wish - wished |
| In the past tense, if a verb consists of three letters and ends in a consonant, double the consonant and add '-ed'. | hug - hugged tip - tipped |
When using the '-ing' form of a verb and the verb ends in a consonant, add '-ing'. | walk - walking wish - wishing |
| When using the '-ing' form of a verb and the verb consists of three letters and ends in a consonant, double the consonant and add '-ing'. | nap - napping tip - tipping |
| When using the '-ing' form of a verb and the verb originally ends in an 'e', the 'e' falls away and the '-ing' form is added. | save - saving race - racing |
| Some words have silent letters. These letters are not pronounced aloud. | wrong / thumb / knee |
Commonly confused homophones and their meanings
FAQs
Question: What is an acrostic?
Answer: An acrostic is a piece of writing in which particular letters in each line correspond to other words or sentences. Visually it looks like a poem.
Question: What is a mnemonic?
Answer: A mnemonic is a tool used to help your memory. You can use a pattern, rhyme or saying to help you remember a certain word.
Question: What are some spelling tips?
Answer: In order to spell words correctly it's possible to use mnemonics, an acrostic and memorize some common rules.
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