Why does the e disappear before -ing?

The silent e's job is to make the vowel say its name, and the vowel at the start of -ing can do that job instead, so the e bows out: baking. The single consonant before -ing still signals the long vowel. Kids accept the rule fastest by seeing how odd the kept-e spelling looks.

Does the e ever stay?

Yes, usually before endings that start with a consonant: hope keeps its e in hopeful, care keeps it in careless. It usually steps aside only for vowel endings like -ing, -ed, and -er. A few common words break the pattern (truly, argument, dyeing), and some have two accepted spellings (aging and ageing). That contrast comes up naturally once the basic rule is solid.

2nd grade the drop-e rule

2nd grade the drop-e rule worksheets

Silent-e words drop the e before endings that begin with a vowel: bake, baking; smile, smiled; ride, riding. Second graders apply the rule to everyday verbs and learn to reject the kept-e misspellings (bakeing, rideing) on sight.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.2.2.d.

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

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Put the pieces together and write the whole word on the line.

melt + ing =
Fixed: melting
melt + ing =
taste + ing =

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

What's on a 2nd grade sheet

2nd grade sheets draw from 80 sentences, 7 to a page. 2nd and 3rd grade print from the same 80 sentences. What changes is the standard (L.2.2.d here) and the teaching notes below. 3rd grade sheets print 8 to a page.

Some of the words:

wavingtradingmovingerasedrisingtiminggivinggracefullyrarelylately

Fix it. Put the pieces together and write the whole word on the line. 7 sentences to fix per page.
Choose the word. Circle the letter of the correct spelling. 8 questions per page.

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

How to teach this

Frame the e as polite: it does its job (making the vowel long), then steps aside when -ing or -ed arrives with a vowel of its own. Writing the base word, crossing out the e, and adding the ending makes the rule physical. Bakeing looks wrong quickly once a child has crossed out a few e's by hand.

Watch for: The e isn't deleted forever; it usually stays when the ending starts with a consonant: hopeful, careless. A few everyday words break the pattern: true becomes truly, and dye keeps its e in dyeing so it can't be read as dying. Bakeing and rideing are never correct; in words like these, the e yields to -ing.

Common questions about 2nd grade the drop-e rule

Why does the e disappear before -ing?: The silent e's job is to make the vowel say its name, and the vowel at the start of -ing can do that job instead, so the e bows out: baking. The single consonant before -ing still signals the long vowel. Kids accept the rule fastest by seeing how odd the kept-e spelling looks.
Does the e ever stay?: Yes, usually before endings that start with a consonant: hope keeps its e in hopeful, care keeps it in careless. It usually steps aside only for vowel endings like -ing, -ed, and -er. A few common words break the pattern (truly, argument, dyeing), and some have two accepted spellings (aging and ageing). That contrast comes up naturally once the basic rule is solid.

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Aligned to Common Core L.2.2.d. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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