The following list includes common conventions of English that learners may need to understand and use in Levels 1 and 2. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to give a general indication of what may be required at each level of proficiency.
| Teach at Level 1 if needed | Teach at Level 2 if needed | Will be introduced at Level 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling Patterns: | |||
| To form the plural of most nouns, simply add "s." (e.g., stone becomes stones, dog becomes dogs, valley becomes valleys) |
X | ||
| The "ie/ei" rule: Put "i" before "e," except after "c," or
when it sounds like "ay" in neighbour or weigh. (e.g., believe, relief, tie, receive, conceit, eight, freight) |
X | ||
| The "silent e" rule: If a word ends with a silent "e," drop
the "e" when adding an ending that starts with a vowel. (e.g., hope becomes hoping, create becomes creation) |
X | ||
| The "final Y" rule: If a word ends with a "y," change the "y" to "i" when adding an ending, except when the
ending is "ing." (e.g., baby becomes babies, steady becomes steadiness, baby becomes babying, enjoy becomes enjoyed) |
X | ||
| "Doubling the final consonant" rule: If a word has one syllable, ends with a consonant preceded by a vowel
and the ending starts with a vowel, double the final consonant. (e.g., hop becomes hopped, plan become planning, hot becomes hotter) |
X |