Participles as adjectives: -ed/-ing adjectives
Practice participle adjectives with -ed and -ing forms using B1+ exercises. Improve your English grammar with clear explanations and quizzes.
Exercises & Summary
Participles as Adjectives: -ed and -ing Adjectives Exercises
Many adjectives in English come from verbs and are made with -ed or -ing. These are known as participle adjectives. To communicate clearly and naturally, you need to know the difference between -ed and -ing adjectives.
What Are the Adjectives That End in -ed and -ing?
- Adjectives that end in -ed tell you how someone feels.
- Adjectives that end in -ing tell you what makes you feel that way.
Example:
I am bored. (how I feel)
The movie is boring. (what causes the feeling)
Using -ed Adjectives
We use adjectives that end in -ed to talk about feelings or mental states, usually about people.
Common examples:
interested, excited, tired, confused, worried
Example:
She was excited about the trip.
They felt confused by the instructions.
Using -ing Adjectives
We use adjectives that end in -ing to talk about things, situations, or people that make us feel something.
Common examples:
interesting, exciting, tiring, confusing, worrying
Example:
The lesson was interesting.
It was a tiring day at work.
Common Pairs of -ed / -ing Adjectives
- bored / boring
- interested / interesting
- tired / tiring
- surprised / surprising
- annoyed / annoying
The meaning of the sentence changes when you pick the right form.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t use adjectives that end in -ing to talk about how someone feels.
Incorrect: I am boring.
Correct: I am bored. - Don’t use adjectives that end in -ed to talk about things.
Incorrect: It was a bored class.
Correct: It was a boring class.
Adjectives that end in -ed and -ing help us talk about how we feel and why.
- Use adjectives that end in -ed to describe feelings.
- Use adjectives that end in “-ing” to describe things or situations that make you feel something.
You can avoid making common mistakes and say what you mean more clearly in English by practicing these forms with examples and exercises.