Verb Suffixes Worksheets for 2nd and 3rd Graders

There are some rules in the English language that fit into the “You just need to know them” category. The rules for adding suffixes to verbs are certainly an example of this!

Learning to use the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing correctly to form past tense, simple present tense and simple continuous tense is an important foundation for both reading and writing. When students understand how these suffixes work, they can communicate their ideas more accurately, improve sentence construction and better comprehend the texts they read.

This carefully sequenced set of suffixes worksheets includes nine activities that provide meaningful opportunities for students to identify, practice and apply verb tense suffixes in a variety of contexts. The pack includes single-word, sentence-level and paragraph-level activities, allowing students to work at the level where they feel comfortable.

Some of the activities included in this pack include:

• Word building tasks
• Color coding
• Matching activities 
• Multiple choice questions
• Fix the mistake
• And many more!

This worksheet pack downloads as an easy-print PDF or an editable Google Slides file. Answers are included in both file options.

Why You’ll Love This Suffixes Worksheet Pack

As teachers, we know that keeping students engaged during grammar and spelling lessons can be challenging, especially when repeated practice is needed to build mastery. This suffixes worksheet pack offers a range of activity styles that make it easy to differentiate instruction, reinforce learning and keep students engaged.

You can use this suffix worksheet pack in countless ways in your ELA lessons:

• Whole class teaching – Use selected worksheets as part of explicit grammar instruction to model how the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing change the meaning of verbs and indicate different tenses.
• Small group intervention – Choose particular worksheets to use with targeted groups who need additional support in identifying verb tense patterns and applying suffixes correctly in their writing.
• Independent or group activity – Use the worksheets to keep students meaningfully engaged with grammar-focused tasks that provide purposeful practice without requiring extensive teacher preparation.
• Assessment and review – Use one or more of the activities to monitor student understanding, identify misconceptions and gather evidence of learning for grammar outcomes.

Download Your Suffixes Worksheets PDF Today!

Ready to get your hands on this suffixes worksheets PDF? Use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access the PDF or the editable Google Slides file. (Note: You will be prompted to copy the Google Slides version to your personal drive before accessing it.)

As this resource contains answer sheets, we recommend printing one copy of the entire file. Then, remove the answer sheets and make photocopies of the worksheets as required. We also recommend double-sided printing where possible.

Whether you’re introducing verb tense suffixes for the first time, revisiting the concept before assessment, or providing extra practice for students who need it, this worksheet pack offers a high-quality solution with no extra preparation required!

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Quality Resources to Support Suffix Practice 

Teach Starter boasts a huge range of teacher-created, curriculum-aligned resources to provide suffix practice for your students. Click here to browse through some of our favorites! 

teaching resource

Plural Nouns Worksheet Pack

Download this plural nouns worksheet pack to help students confidently identify and apply the plural suffixes -s, -es, -ies and -ves when spelling plural nouns.

teaching resource

Suffix Bingo

Match words with suffixes to their meaning in this BINGO game.

teaching resource

Prefixes and Suffixes Word Search

Practice identifying the meanings of words containing prefixes and suffixes with a fun word search activity.