How is "hoping" different from "hopping"?

Different base words wearing different rules. Hope drops its e: hoping, long o. Hop doubles its p: hopping, short o. The vowel sound is the audible clue, and the sentence's meaning is the final judge. These pairs are favorite test items precisely because both spellings are real.

My child spells it "takeing." How do I fix it?

The error means the base word is spelled correctly and the rule just hasn't attached yet, which is good news. Have them write the base, physically cross out the e, then add -ing, for a handful of verbs a day. The crossing-out gesture builds the habit faster than corrections after the fact.

3rd grade the drop-e rule

3rd grade the drop-e rule worksheets

Third graders drop the e without thinking and navigate the pairs where the drop-e word has a doubled twin: hoping and hopping, taping and tapping. Context picks the word; the rule picks the spelling.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.3.2.e.

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.

grade + ing =
Fixed: grading
give + ing =
late + ly =

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 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 80 sentences, 8 to a page. 2nd and 3rd grade print from the same 80 sentences. What changes is the standard (L.3.2.e here) and the teaching notes below. 2nd grade sheets print 7 to a page.

Some of the words:

writingwavingtradingdancingslidingracingsharedhopefulsafelyclosely

Fix it. Put the pieces together and write the whole word on the line. 8 sentences to fix per page.
Choose the word. Circle the letter of the correct spelling. 10 questions per page.

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

How to teach this

Pair this sheet with the doubling rule and let the twins meet: hoping needs the dropped e, hopping needs the doubled p, and the vowel sound tells them apart. A child who can explain why "wipping" fails both rules has genuinely mastered the system, not memorized the words.

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 3rd grade the drop-e rule

How is "hoping" different from "hopping"?: Different base words wearing different rules. Hope drops its e: hoping, long o. Hop doubles its p: hopping, short o. The vowel sound is the audible clue, and the sentence's meaning is the final judge. These pairs are favorite test items precisely because both spellings are real.
My child spells it "takeing." How do I fix it?: The error means the base word is spelled correctly and the rule just hasn't attached yet, which is good news. Have them write the base, physically cross out the e, then add -ing, for a handful of verbs a day. The crossing-out gesture builds the habit faster than corrections after the fact.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core L.3.2.e. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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