-ing vs -ed adjectives
Many adjectives come in pairs: one ending in -ing and one in -ed. They come from the same verb but have different meanings.
-ing adjective → describes the thing or situation that causes the feeling
-ed adjective → describes how a person (or animal) feels
The film was boring. → The film caused boredom. (thing → -ing)
I was bored. → I felt boredom. (person → -ed)
The news was shocking. → The news caused shock. (thing → -ing)
We were shocked. → We felt shock. (person → -ed)
Common pairs
| Verb | -ing (cause) | -ed (feeling) |
|---|
| bore | boring | bored |
| excite | exciting | excited |
| interest | interesting | interested |
| surprise | surprising | surprised |
| exhaust | exhausting | exhausted |
| embarrass | embarrassing | embarrassed |
| disappoint | disappointing | disappointed |
| fascinate | fascinating | fascinated |
| amaze | amazing | amazed |
| frighten | frightening | frightened |
Common mistakes
⚠ Watch out:
✗ I was boring at the party. → ✓ I was bored at the party. (you felt boredom — use -ed)
✗ The documentary was very interested. → ✓ The documentary was very interesting. (it caused interest — use -ing)
✗ She gave an excited speech. → ✓ She gave an exciting speech. (the speech caused excitement — use -ing)
✗ It was an exhausted journey. → ✓ It was an exhausting journey. (the journey caused exhaustion — use -ing)