B1 English GrammarParticipial Adjectives (-ing vs -ed)
Use present and past participles as adjectives. Master the difference between -ing adjectives (boring) and -ed adjectives (bored) to describe feelings and things.
1-ed Adjectives: How You Feel
Use -ed adjectives (past participles) to describe how someone feels. These adjectives describe the effect something has on a person. They answer "How do you feel?"
Common -ed Adjectives
| Adjective | Feeling |
|---|---|
| bored | not interested, nothing to do |
| tired | need rest |
| excited | very happy about something |
| surprised | did not expect this |
| confused | don't understand |
| interested | want to know more |
Examples
I'm bored. There's nothing to do.
I'm bored. There's nothing to do.
how I feel
She was surprised by the news.
She was surprised by the news.
the news surprised her
We're excited about the trip.
We're excited about the trip.
the trip excites us
He felt confused by the instructions.
He felt confused by the instructions.
instructions confused him
2-ing Adjectives: What Causes the Feeling
Use -ing adjectives (present participles) to describe what causes a feeling. These describe the characteristic of something. They answer "What is it like?"
Common -ing Adjectives
| Adjective | Meaning |
|---|---|
| boring | causes boredom |
| tiring | makes you tired |
| exciting | causes excitement |
| surprising | causes surprise |
| confusing | hard to understand |
| interesting | captures attention |
Examples
This movie is boring.
This movie is boring.
the movie causes boredom
That was a surprising result.
That was a surprising result.
the result surprised people
The instructions are confusing.
The instructions are confusing.
they confuse people
It was an exhausting day.
It was an exhausting day.
the day exhausted me
3Comparing -ing and -ed
The key difference: -ed describes the person experiencing the feeling, -ing describes the thing causing the feeling. Mixing these up is a common error.
-ing vs -ed
| -ing (cause) | -ed (effect) |
|---|---|
| The book is boring. | I am bored by the book. |
| The news is shocking. | We are shocked by the news. |
| The game is exciting. | The fans are excited. |
| The lecture is tiring. | The students are tired. |
Examples
I'm interested in history. History is interesting.
I'm interested in history. History is interesting.
person vs subject
She's annoyed. Her brother is annoying.
She's annoyed. Her brother is annoying.
she feels it, he causes it
The children are frightened. The storm is frightening.
The children are frightened. The storm is frightening.
children feel fear, storm causes it
He was embarrassed. The situation was embarrassing.
He was embarrassed. The situation was embarrassing.
he felt it, situation caused it
4Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many learners confuse -ing and -ed adjectives. Remember: people feel -ed (because something affects them), things are -ing (because they affect others).
Common Errors
| Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I'm boring. | I'm bored. | unless you cause boredom |
| The movie was bored. | The movie was boring. | movie causes feeling |
| She's interesting in art. | She's interested in art. | she has the interest |
| It was a tired journey. | It was a tiring journey. | journey causes tiredness |
Examples
I'm not boring, I'm bored!
I'm not boring, I'm bored!
I feel boredom, I don't cause it
The documentary was fascinating.
The documentary was fascinating.
it fascinated viewers
Are you interested or are you interesting?
Are you interested or are you interesting?
do you have interest vs do you cause interest
The lesson was exhausting, so we're exhausted.
The lesson was exhausting, so we're exhausted.
cause (lesson) → effect (we)