Page 584 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

2 final -e not dropped before consonants
Before endings that begin with a consonant, final -e is not normally dropped. excite -+ excitement complete -+ completeness
definite -+ definitely
Exceptions: words ending in -ue
due -+ duly true -+ truly argue -+ argument
In words that end with -ce or -ge, we do not drop -e before a or o. replace -+ replaceable courage -+ courageous
(BUT charge -+ charging, face -+ facing)
Judg(e)ment and acknowledg(e)ment can be spelt with or without the -e after g. For words ending in ·ie. see 561.5. For adverbs ending in -Iy. see 557.
561 spelling (6): y and i
1 changing y to i
When we add an ending to a word that ends in -y, we usually change -y to -i-. hurry -+ hurried fury -+ furious merry -+ merriment
marry -+ marriage easy -+ easier busy -+ business
happy -+ happily
Generally, nouns and verbs that end in -y have plural or third person singular forms in -ies.
story -+ stories spy -+ spies hurry -+ hurries
2 exceptions
Two spellings are possible for the nouns flyerlflier.
A machine that dries things is a dryer.
Words formed from the adjective dry: normally drier, driest, drylyl drily, dryness.
Words formed from the adjective sly: slyer, slyest, slyly, slyness.
3 no change before i
We do not change -y to -i- before i (for example when we add -ing, -ism, -ish, -ise).
try -+ trying Tory -+ Toryism baby -+ babyish
4 no change after a vowel
We do not change -y to -i- after a vowel letter.
buy -+ buying
enjoy -+ enjoyment Exceptions:
say -+ said pay -+ paid 5 changing ie to y
We change -ie to -y- before -ing. die -+ dying lie -+ lying (but dye -+ dyeing)
play -+ played grey -+ greyish
lay -+ laid
spelling (6): y and i 561
page 552