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Old 28-Nov-2003, 17:51
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to be

The verb to be is the most irregular of the irregular verbs.

First person singular: am
  • Do you know who I am?
    I am the person you see when you look in the mirror.
    That's who I am.
    I am the person I am.

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Old 29-Nov-2003, 05:16
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With most words that one syllable in length and end in a single consonant, the past or progressive tense is formed by doubling the final consonant and adding -ed or -ing. Examples:
  • slip, slipped, slipping
    slap, slapped, slapping
    trap, trapped, trapping
    top, topped, topping
    tap, tapped, tapping
    fan, fanned, fanning
    gum, gummed, gumming
    sum, summed, summing
    drum, drummed, drumming
    trim, trimmed, trimming
    slim, slimmed, slimming
    grin, grinned, grinning
    cram, crammed, cramming
    slam, slammed, slamming
    lob, lobbed, lobbing
    grab, grabbed, grabbing
    trip, tripped, tripping
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Old 29-Nov-2003, 08:24
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A single consonant after a single vowel.

In BE we also double the final 'l' in two syllable words, like 'travelling', but our American friends don't follow suit.
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Old 29-Nov-2003, 08:26
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12) be being

This is very rarely used. Yo u will occasionally hear 'He will be being picked up at this very moment', but it is an uncomfortable usage and we tend to avoid it. The same is true of 'been being'.
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Old 29-Nov-2003, 18:50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
A single consonant after a single vowel.

In BE we also double the final 'l' in two syllable words, like 'travelling', but our American friends don't follow suit.
Yes, that's right. It's a single consonant after a single vowel. The same pattern is followed with adjectives, thus:
  • big, bigger, biggest
    fat, fatter, fattest
    fit, fitter, fittest
    hot, hotter, hottest
    sad, sadder, saddest
    tan, tanner, tannest
    dun, dunner, dunnest
    glum, glummer, glummest
    slim, slimmer, slimmest
    trim, trimmer, trimmest
    thin, thinner, thinnest
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