Add ING Suffix Worksheet

Adding the suffix ing to a base word is one of the first word-building
skills a young reader meets, and it opens up a whole new set of words they can read on their own. When a
first grader learns that plant becomes planting and sing becomes
singing, they stop sounding out every word letter by letter and start recognizing the root word
inside a longer one. This add ing suffix worksheet gives students focused practice with
that exact pattern, using base words that take ing with no spelling change at all, so
the lesson stays on the suffix itself instead of on tricky spelling rules that come later.

This printable is built in two parts so students move from building words to using them. In Part A,
children see four base words written as a simple addition problem — paint + ing —
and write the new word on the solid handwriting line below it. In Part B, they read four short sentences,
look at the base word printed under each blank, and write the correct ing word into the
sentence. That second step is what turns this 1st grade suffixes worksheet from a spelling drill
into real reading practice, because the sentence only makes sense once the suffix is added. Print it as
morning work, a literacy center activity, a guided reading follow-up, or homework that parents can check
in a minute using the included answer key.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 4 word-building items and 4 fill-in-the-blank sentences

There are three reasons this resource helps children lock in the skill. First, every base word on the
page adds ing cleanly, so students build a reliable pattern before they ever meet the
drop-the-e and double-the-consonant exceptions. Second, the two-part design asks students to both
make the word and then use it, which is the step that moves a suffix from something
memorized to something a reader actually applies. Third, the wide solid writing lines are sized for
first-grade handwriting, so children can form the whole word comfortably instead of cramming it into a
short dash — and neat letters make it far easier for a teacher to spot who is still dropping the
suffix. Every answer on this add ing suffix worksheet is objective, so it grades in
seconds.

Teachers and parents can stretch this skill well beyond the page. Try a verb hunt during read-aloud
time, where students raise a hand each time they hear a word ending in ing. Keep a set of
index cards with base words on one side, and let partners flip a card, say the new word aloud, and use it
in a sentence about what they are doing right now. Play a quick game of charades in which the class has to
guess the action and answer in a full sentence — “He is jumping!” Around the house or
classroom, label what is happening on a sticky note, so children see the suffix in real language all day
long.

Related Resources

• Suffix ING Worksheet
• Suffix ED and ING Worksheet
• Adding Suffix ED Worksheet
• Verb Rap Song (Have Fun Teaching)