Writing: Basic Mechanics and Formation (Review and Accuracy) (B1) - Lesson 1: Consistent Spelling of Common Words & Introduction to Spelling Rules

B1 Lesson 1: Consistent Spelling of Common Words & Introduction to Spelling Rules

Welcome to B1 Writing! At this level, our goal is to improve your accuracy¹ and make your writing more professional. We will begin by reviewing some commonly misspelled words and then learn some important spelling rules².

Understanding *why* a word is spelled a certain way is the best strategy for remembering it forever.

Review: Common "Problem" Words

Let's review some words that often cause trouble. Make sure you are spelling them correctly every time.

• beautiful (It has 'eau' in the middle.)
• because (Think: Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants.)
• friend (Remember 'i' before 'e'.)
• restaurant (This word from French has a tricky 'au'.)
• which (for choosing) vs. witch (a magical person)

Spelling Rule 1: 'i' before 'e'

The most famous spelling rule in English is: "i" before "e", except after "c".

'i' before 'e': believe, field, piece, friend

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'e' after 'c': receive, deceive, ceiling

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Common Exceptions: their, weird, seize, science

Spelling Rule 2: The Doubling Rule (1-1-1 Rule)

For short verbs that end in 1 consonant + 1 vowel + 1 consonant, you double the last letter when adding -ing or -ed.

Base Verb (C-V-C)	-ing Form	-ed Form
stop	stopping	stopped
plan	planning	planned
get	getting	(got - irregular)

Note: This rule does not apply to words that don't follow the C-V-C pattern, like "walk" (l-k are two consonants) → walking.

✍️ B1 Spelling Checklist

• ✔️ When I write a new word, do I think about spelling rules like "i before e" or the doubling rule?
• ✔️ Have I checked for my personal "problem words" (like beautiful or friend)?
• ✔️ Do I know the difference between homophones³ like their/there/they're or which/witch?
• ✔️ When in doubt, did I use an online dictionary to confirm the spelling?

🧠 Practice Quiz: Apply the Rules

Use the spelling rules to choose the correct spelling.

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1. I couldn't (beleive / believe) my eyes!

Answer: believe ('i' before 'e').

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2. We are (planing / planning) a trip to Kep next month.

Answer: planning (The '1-1-1' doubling rule applies to 'plan').

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3. Did you (receive / recieve) my email yesterday?

Answer: receive ('i' before 'e', except after 'c').

📝 Homework: Find and Fix the Mistakes

Read the paragraph below. Find the five spelling mistakes and write the paragraph correctly in your notebook.

My freind is planing a party for his birthday. I want to get him a nice gift, but I'm not sure what to buy. I will stop by the market on my way home becuase I need to buy some things for dinner. It should be a beatiful evening for a party.

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Corrected Paragraph:

My friend is planning a party for his birthday. I want to get him a nice gift, but I'm not sure what to buy. I will stop by the market on my way home because I need to buy some things for dinner. It should be a beautiful evening for a party.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Accuracy: (Noun) - ភាពត្រឹមត្រូវ - The quality of being correct and without mistakes. ↩
2. Spelling Rule: (Noun Phrase) - វិធាននៃការប្រកប - A guide for how to spell certain types of words. ↩
3. Homophone: (Noun) - ពាក្យសូរដូចគ្នា - A word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling (e.g., see/sea). ↩
4. Consonant: (Noun) - ព្យញ្ជនៈ - All letters of the alphabet that are not vowels.
5. Vowel: (Noun) - ស្រៈ - The letters a, e, i, o, u.