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-Ed & -Ing Adjectives

-Ed & -Ing Adjectives

Look at this sample situation:


A conversation between two friends:


Anna: I finally finished that new series everyone’s talking about.

Ben: Really? I started it last week but stopped after two episodes. It was so boring!

Anna: Oh, I liked it! I thought the plot was really interesting, especially the ending.

Ben: The ending? I was completely shocked! I didn’t expect that at all.

Anna: Me too! I was surprised but also excited to see how everything turned out.


You can see from these examples that:


Adjectives ending in ing describe what causes a feeling. They talk about the thing, situation, person or event.

Adjectives ending in ed describe how someone feels about that thing or situation.


Meaning and Use


Adjectives ending in ing describe the cause of the feeling. They tell us what something is like or how it affects people:

The book was fascinating.

means the book caused fascination to someone; it made someone feel fascinated.

The game was boring.

means the game caused boredom to someone; it made someone feel bored.


Adjectives ending in ed describe the person’s feeling that results from that cause. They show how someone reacts to something.

I was fascinated by the book.

means the book made me feel fascination.

I was bored during the game.

Means the game made me feel bored.


Let’s look at some common ed and ing adjectives:


Amusing/Amused

The teacher’s story was amusing.
The students were amused.

Boring/bored

The film was boring.
I was bored.

Confusing/Confused

The explanation was confusing.
I was confused by it.

Depressing/Depressed

The weather was depressing.
She felt depressed all week.

Disappointing/Disappointed

The result was disappointing.
We were disappointed with the result.

Exciting/Excited

The news was exciting.
I was excited to hear it.

Frightening/Frightened

The noise was frightening.
The child was frightened by the noise.

Interesting/Interested

The lesson was interesting.
The students were interested in it.

Relaxing/Relaxed

The holiday was relaxing.
We felt relaxed afterwards.

Surprising/Surprised

The ending was surprising.I was surprised by the ending.

Tiring/Tired

The journey was tiring.
We were tired when we arrived.

Common Mistakes

Students often mix up these forms, so remember:

I’m boring. 

means that you make other people bored! But:

I’m bored.

means that you feel bored because something or someone is making you feel like that.

The movie was bored. 

is wrong because a movie can’t feel. Instead you should say:

The movie was boring.

or

I felt/was bored.

In the FCE exam


ed and ing adjectives are very frequently used in everyday conversation and in a variety of different contexts. Here are some examples of where you could come across or use them in the exam:


Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (Key Word Transformations) may test your understanding of these adjectives:


The film bored me but it was exciting at times.

SOMETIMES

I was ________________________ the film.

Answer: sometimes excited by


Writing

In essays or reports, use these adjectives to describe feelings or impressions clearly:

Using technology in class can be both exciting and frightening for some students.
The trip was amazing and I felt very excited throughout.

In reviews, they are perfect for expressing reactions:

The performance was fascinating but I was slightly disappointed by the ending.
The film was absolutely amazing and I was impressed by the actors’ performances.

In articles, engage readers by describing situations:

You might find this task frustrating but it’s actually quite fun once you try.
If you’ve ever tried learning a new language, you’ll know it can be challenging but also very rewarding.
Speaking

In part 1, you will probably use them to talk about your feelings and preferences:

I’m really interested in travelling because I love learning about new cultures.
I was really surprised when I won the prize.

In part 2, you might need them to describe people and situations in the photos:

The children look excited about the game. The activity seems fun and engaging.
The children look rather bored and distracted.

In part 3, you can use them to express experiences:

It’s quite annoying when people interrupt during discussions.
I feel frustrated when that happens.
I’m interested in history, so I enjoy visiting museums.

And in Part 4, you could use them to talk about reactions to ongoing activities:

We were fascinated by the documentary we watched in class.
I was amazed by how much people use social media nowadays.
It’s really surprising how dependent we’ve become on technology.

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