Many adjectives come from verbs and exist in two forms. The -ed form (interested, bored, tired) describes how a person feels. The -ing form (interesting, boring, tiring) describes the thing or person that causes the feeling.
Form
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| -ed: how a person feels | I am bored. She is excited. |
| -ing: what causes the feeling | The film is boring. The news is exciting. |
When to use it
- Feeling: I am confused. She was surprised.
- Cause: The instructions are confusing. The result was surprising.
- Pairs: amused / amusing, annoyed / annoying, disappointed / disappointing, tired / tiring, frightened / frightening.
- People can be -ing too: He is boring (he makes others bored).
Examples
- I am bored. This lesson is boring.
- She was excited about the trip.
- The match was exciting.
- He felt embarrassed by the question.
- It was an embarrassing mistake.
- We were shocked by the news.
Common mistakes
- I am boring (meaning you feel bored) → I am bored. (I am boring means you are a boring person.)
- The film was bored → The film was boring.
- Prepositions: interested in, bored with, excited about, worried about.