Why do you need to double the last consonant before adding ing a word?

You don't always need to double the last consonant before adding "-ing" to a word. It depends on a few rules:

Rule 1: Short vowel sound + single consonant at the end of the word.

* If a word ends with a single consonant after a short vowel sound (like "run," "shop," "swim"), you do double the consonant before adding "-ing."

* run + ing = running

* shop + ing = shopping

* swim + ing = swimming

Rule 2: Long vowel sound or a vowel digraph at the end of the word.

* If a word ends with a single consonant after a long vowel sound (like "hope," "bake," "play") or a vowel digraph (like "rain," "boat," "deal"), you don't double the consonant.

* hope + ing = hoping

* bake + ing = baking

* play + ing = playing

* rain + ing = raining

* boat + ing = boating

* deal + ing = dealing

Rule 3: Words ending in "w" or "y" before the final consonant.

* If a word ends in "w" or "y" before the final consonant, you don't double the consonant.

* flow + ing = flowing

* play + ing = playing

Rule 4: Two-letter words with a short vowel sound.

* If a two-letter word has a short vowel sound, you don't double the consonant.

* fit + ing = fitting

* get + ing = getting

Exceptions:

* There are some exceptions to the rules, such as words ending in "x" (like "fix") or "c" before "k" (like "panic"), where the consonant is doubled.

It's helpful to remember that doubling the consonant is about keeping the short vowel sound consistent in the present participle. By doubling the consonant, you ensure that the vowel sound remains short when you add "-ing."