1st grade inflectional endings (-ed sounds) worksheets

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The -ed ending marks the past and says three different things: t (kicked), d (played), or id (wanted). First graders sort verbs by the sound they hear at the end.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.f.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll sort

Write each word from the bank in the correct column.

playedwantedwaitedendedplantedwatcheddancedmovedsmiledkickedrainedasked

Columns: -ed says /t/ and -ed says /d/ and -ed says /id/. "asked" belongs under -ed says /t/; "smiled" belongs under -ed says /d/; "planted" belongs under -ed says /id/.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 30 words, 15 to a page. 1st and 2nd grade print from the same 30 words. What changes is the standard (RF.1.3.f here) and the teaching notes below. 2nd grade sheets print 21 to a page.

Some of the words:

jumpedfixedcleanedclimbedyelledneededpaintedshoutedcountedfolded

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Have your child say each word naturally, as in a sentence, and listen only to the very end. Saying 'jumped' slowly and unnaturally creates the extra syllable this sheet is trying to prevent, so keep it quick and real.

Watch for: Only words already ending in t or d earn the extra syllable (wanted, needed). Everywhere else, -ed is just a sound, not a syllable, and reading 'jump-ed' as two beats is the error to catch. The pattern is physical: after quiet sounds the ending stays quiet (t), after noisy sounds it hums (d). Kids can feel it with a hand on their throat.

Common questions about 1st grade inflectional endings (-ed sounds)

Why does -ed sound so different in different words?
The mouth takes the easiest route from the base word's last sound. After quiet sounds -ed says t, after noisy ones d, and after t or d it needs its own syllable: id.
Does my child need to know the rule's mechanics?
No: the sort trains the ear, and the ear handles it from then on. The mechanics are for the grown-ups who are curious why the columns work.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.f. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated August 2026.

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