Introduction
Participial adjectives are formed from verbs - from present participles (-ing) and past participles (-ed). Mixing up bored and boring is one of the most noticeable learner mistakes.
-ing adjective describes the thing/person causing the feeling
-ed adjective describes the person experiencing the feeling
- The film was boring.
- I was bored.
- The news was shocking. / She was shocked.
Common -ing/-ed Adjective Pairs
| -ing (causing) | -ed (experiencing) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| boring | bored | The lecture was boring. I was bored. |
| exciting | excited | The match was exciting. She was excited. |
| tiring | tired | The journey was tiring. We were tired. |
| surprising | surprised | The result was surprising. He was surprised. |
| confusing | confused | The instructions were confusing. I am confused. |
| interesting | interested | The topic is interesting. She's interested in it. |
| frightening | frightened | The noise was frightening. The dog was frightened. |
| embarrassing | embarrassed | It was embarrassing. He felt embarrassed. |
Avoiding Confusion
The key test: if you feel the emotion, use -ed. If something causes the emotion, use -ing.
- I am very interesting in art.I am very interested in art.I feel the interest
- The teacher was bored to everyone.The teacher was boring to everyone.she caused boredom
- He felt very exciting.He felt very excited.
Practice
The film was so ___ that I fell asleep.
I was ___ during the lecture - I kept checking my phone.
Which sentence is correct?
The teacher was so ___ that half the class fell asleep.
The match was ___. She was ___.
The journey was ___. We were ___.
The instructions were ___. I am ___.
The dog was ___ of the thunder and hid under the bed.
It was ___. He felt ___.
The topic is ___. She's ___ in it.
The result was ___. He was ___.
He felt very ___.
Rollercoasters are ___ - I never go on them.
1 of 13