Final answer:
The discussion is about spelling rules regarding the deletion of the final silent 'e' when forming the past tense of verbs and the change from 'y' to 'i' when making words ending in 'y' plural.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the rules of spelling changes when forming the past tense of verbs, specifically when silent 'e' is deleted at the end of the base word, and the changes in spelling when a word ending in 'y' is made plural by adding 'es'.
According to English spelling rules, when you add a suffix that starts with 'e', 'i', or 'y' to a base that ends in a silent 'e', that marks either a soft 'g' or a soft 'c', or a vowel sound that is long, you delete the final silent 'e'.
For example, the base word 'dance' (which has a silent 'e' and a soft 'c') becomes 'danced' when the past tense suffix '-ed' is added, deleting the silent 'e' in the process. Meanwhile, when a word ending in 'y' forms a plural, such as 'sky', it becomes 'skies', where the 'y' changes to 'i' before adding 'es'.
The rule you have mentioned is called the Final Deletion Rule. It states that when a word ends with a silent indicating a long vowel sound, the is deleted when a suffix starting with a vowel is added. For example, when adding the suffix -es to the word 'wish,' the final is deleted, resulting in 'wishes.'