ust be a
monosyllable or a word accented on the final syllable. _Hit_ and _allot_
meet this test; _open_ does not. _Deferred_ and _differed_, _preferred_
and _proffered_, _committed_ (or _committee_) and _prohibited_ double or
refrain from doubling the final consonant of the primary word according
to the position of the accent. The seeming discrepancy between
_preferred_ and _preferable_, between _conferred_ and _conference_, is
due to a shifting of the accent to the first syllable in the case of
_preferable_ and _conference_. (3) The primary word must end in one
consonant. _Trace_, _oppose_, _interfere_, _help_, _reach_, and
_perform_ fail to meet this test, and therefore in derivatives do not
double the last consonant. _Assurance_ has one _r_, as it should have;
_occurrence_ has two _r's_, as it should have. (4) The final consonant
of the primary word must be preceded by a single vowel. This principle
excludes the extra consonant from _needy_, _daubed_, and _proceeding_,
and gives it to _running_.

Note 2.--After _q_, _u_ has the force of _w_. Hence _quitting_,
_quizzes_, _squatter_, _acquitted_, _equipped_, and similar words are
not really exceptions to the rule.

Exercise:

1. Write the present participle (in _-ing_) of _din_ (not
_dine_), _begin_, _sin_ (compare _shine_), _stop_, _prefer_,
_rob_, _drop_, _occur_, _omit_, _swim_, _get_, _commit_.

2. Write the past tense (in _-ed_) of _plan_ (not _plane_),
_star_ (compare _stare_), _stop_ (compare _slope_), _lop_ (not
_lope_), _hop_ (not _hope_), _fit_, _benefit_, _occur_ (compare
_cure_), _offer_, _confer_, _bat_ (compare _abate_).

=Final _e_ before a Suffix Beginning with a Vowel=

=76. Words that end in silent _e_ usually drop the _e_ in derivatives or
before a suffix beginning with a vowel.=

Examples: _bride_, _bridal_; _guide_, _guidance_; _please_, _pleasure_;
_fleece_, _fleecy_; _force_, _forcible_; _argue_, _arguing_; _arrive_,
_arrival_; _conceive_, _conceivable_; _college_, _collegiate_; _write_,
_writing_; _use_, _using_; _change_, _changing_; _judge_, _judging_;
_believe_, _believing_.

Note 1.--Of the exceptions some retain the _e_ to prevent confusion with
other words. Exceptions: _dyeing_, _singeing_, _mileage_, _acreage_,
_hoeing_, _shoeing_, _agreeing_, _eyeing_. The exceptions cause
comparatively little trouble. One rarely sees _hoing_ or _shoing_; he
often sees _hopeing_ and _inviteing_.

Not