Punctuation & spelling

y and i
grammar game

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When adding an ending to a word that ends with y, change the y to i

when the y comes after a consonant:

Fairy - Fairies
Carry - carries
Carry - carried
Empty - emptiness
Marry - marriage
Easy - easily
Lucky - luckier

If the ending you want to add begins with the letter i the y does not
change, e.g. - ing, - ish, - ism
Carry - carrying
Thirty - thirtyish
Crony - cronyism
When adding an ending to a word that ends with y, make no change
if the y comes after a vowel:
Pay - paying
Obey - obeyed
Toy - toying
Buy - buying
Note the following exceptions to this rule:
Say - said
Pay - paid
Lay - laid
When adding an ending to a word that ends with ie, change the ie to
y before -ing:
Lie - lying
Die - dying
Tie - tying

More information about y and i:

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/spelling.htm
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/pluralsv.htm
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/pluralsn.htm
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