34

Examples:

intelligent intelligencesoft g

innocent innocencesoft c

The –ent or –ence ending is often used if a word has a soft c, a soft g or a qu sound, or when a related word has a clear e sound near the end.

Unfortunately this is not a rule. There are many words which use –ent or –ence, but do not follow the above rule. You just have to learn them.

-ent and -ence endings

1 Write out and match the word families.

An example has been done for you.

a) innocent decency confidential

b) decent frequence decently

c) frequent confidence obediently

d) confident innocence frequently

e) obedient obedience innocently

2 Write the definition of each of these words.

Use a dictionary to help you.

a) confident

b) obedient

c) innocent

Warm up

35How did you do?

3 Copy and complete the table with the correct –ent endings.

An example has been done for you.

–ence ending –ent ending

innocence innocent

frequence

difference

confidence

independence

Test yourself

4 Write a sentence containing each given word.

a) difference

b) independent

c) frequent

d) confidence

e) innocence

f) obedient

Challenge yourself

AnswersPages 34–351. a) innocent – innocence – innocently b) decent – decency – decently c) frequent – frequence – frequently d) confident – confidence – confidential e) obedient – obedience – obediently2. a) confident – having a strong belief that

something will happen b) obedient – obeying an order or wish directed

at you c) innocent – having done nothing wrong3. innocence / innocent; frequence / frequent;

difference / different; confidence / confident; independence / independent

4. a)–f) Sentences will vary, but they must contain the stated word with the correct spelling, must be correctly punctuated and must make sense.

30

-ent and -ence endingsLearning objective

We are learning to spell words which use the suffixes -ent and -ence.

What pupils already know

Pupils will have encountered a variety of suffixes and understand that they change the meaning of the root word. They should be able to give a number of examples.

Key vocabulary

root word, suffix

Teaching notes

• The suffixes -ent and -ence can often be added to the same root.• Show pupils the words intelligent and intelligence.• Ask them to say these words and then add each of them into sentences.• Explain that although there is no rule for using -ent and -ence, there are some common indicators which

can be helpful.

Examples:

Display the words intelligent, intelligence, innocent and innocence.

Explain that these words have soft g and soft c sounds, which often lead to the addition of -ent or -ence.

Similarly, show the words frequent and frequence. Explain that the qu sound can also sometimes lead to the use of -ent and -ence.

Finally show the word obedient. Explain that a short but clear e sound (in this case made by the letter i) can also lead to use of -ent and -ence.

Ask pupils to write the word ending in -ence for obedient (obedience).

For pupils:

Steps to success:

1. Will using a word with a suffix improve your writing?

2. Does the new word make sense?

3. Does a soft g or c, a qu sound, or a clear e sound lead to the use of -ent or -ence?

Independent activity

Refer pupils to the Year 6 Spelling Pupil Book, pages 34–35.

31© 2015 Keen Kite Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. You may photocopy this page.

-ent and -ence endingsUse and apply

Task A: Sort the words

Give pupils, or let them create, a table with the headings -ent and -ence endings and -ant and -ance endings. Give them a list of roots that can take -ent or -ence endings. They should complete the table by adding endings to the roots and writing the words in the correct columns.

-ent and -ence endings -ant and -ance endings

intelligentintelligence

toleranttolerance

Example roots:

intellig_ toler_ obedi_ hesit_ reluct_ innoc_ relev_ differ_

Task B: Sentence pairs

A game for 2 players (although more can be added).

• Pupils need: cards containing words which can end in either -ent or -ence.• All players have an equal number of cards.• Each player has a piece of paper (or whiteboard) for recording responses.• Each player takes turns reading one of their words, and the other player(s) respond by writing a sentence

with the given word ending changed either from -ent to -ence, or from -ence to -ent.• The players continue until a specified number of sentences have been written or all of the cards have

been used.• The winner is the player who has written the most correct -ent and -ence words, each in a sentence.

Example:

1. Player 1 reads the word innocent from a card.

2. Player 2 writes a sentence containing the word innocence, for example: Sophie was determined to prove her innocence.

Task C: Suffix areas

Display one ending (-ant, -ance, -ent and -ence) in four corners / areas of the classroom. Say some sentences containing a word with the ending -ant, -ance, -ent or -ence.

On hearing each sentence, pupils move to the area of the room labelled with the ending that they have heard.

Show the word containing the ending.

Example sentences / words:

There was a frequent bus service into the city. (-ent)

Fizz was very tolerant of her little brother. (-ant)

Answers31 A. Check that pupils have written words

in the correct columns and have spelt them correctly (-ent / -ence: obedient/ce, innocent/ce, different/ce; -ant / -ance: hesitant/ce, reluctant/ce, relevant/ce).

B. Check that pupils have spelt words correctly and have used them in the correct context.

C. Check that the pupils are moving to the correct area for each spelling.