| study | studying | obey | obeying |
| carry | carrying | convey | conveying |
| pity | pitying |
In forming the perfect participle, if in the present tense the y is preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to i and ed added; if the y is preceded by a vowel, the y is retained; as,
| study | studied | carry | carried | pity | pitied |
but
| obey | obeyed | convey | conveyed |
Compare with [Rule 2].
Exercise 39
Rule 7.—In words containing a long e sound spelled either ie or ei, ei follows c; ie follows one of the other consonants; as,
| ei | ie | |
| deceive | relieve | siege |
| perceive | believe | yield |
| receive | belief | grief |
| conceive | chief | field |
| conceit | priest | piece |
| receipt | niece | wield |
| reprieve | lien | |