How To Use Confusing Adjectives That End With -ing And -ed
Ahhh, confusing adjectives…
Today we’re going to make confusing adjectives a 
bit less confusing, by listening, reading and watching all about them.
At the end, I’ve even made a quick quiz for you to test yourself.
After today’s lesson, they should finally start making sense.
But, you know what they say… once a confusing adjective, always a confusing adjective.
(I don’t know if anyone actually says that)
Anyway, today’s lesson is a triple treat. You have something to read, something to listen to, and something to watch.
And it’s all focused on a grammar point that confuses a lot of English learners (even the most advanced ones):
Adjectives that have -ed endings AND -ing endings
So, if you make this mistake, you’ll want to keep reading, listening and watching.
Let’s put an end to these confusing adjectives:
Listen To This
Read This
Today I’m going to talk about one of the one of the biggest causes of confusion with adjectives: -ed endings and –ing endings.
For example… should you say: ‘I’m bored’ or ‘I’m boring’ when someone asks how you’re feeling?
Fortunately, there is a pattern to this little grammar rule.
Adjectives that end with -Ed, like interested, bored and confused, show a feeling or emotion. When you say “I’m bored”, you’re really saying “I feel bored”.
On the other hand, adjectives that end with -ing, like interesting, boring and confusing, cause a feeling or emotion.
So, a confusing class makes you feel confused, and an interesting teacher makes you feel interested.
And that’s the difference between adjectives ending in –ing and adjectives ending in –ed.
If you found this grammar tip helpful, please share it with the people you know.
Watch This
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Test Yourself
So, can you finally use these confusing adjectives? It’s time to test yourself.
Remember: if it’s a feeling, it’s -ed. It if causes a feeling, it’s -ing.
Final Words
Hopefully, that makes using adjectives a little less confusing.
But just because you 10/10 on the test, it doesn’t mean you’ve finished working on this…
Ohhhh no…
Next you need to master using these adjectives until you can speak and write them automatically without thinking.
To do that, the next step is USING these adjectives.
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About the Author Sam
Sam is the founder and creator of English For Study. He's also a lecturer in EAP/Academic English. Apart from making Academic English easy, he likes learning languages, lifting weights and eating good food.
