Grammar
Ed and ing adjectives: describe feelings and causes
The lecture was boring, so I was bored. One adjective describes the lecture. The other describes my reaction to it.
Choose -ed adjectives for a person's feeling or reaction and -ing adjectives for the person, thing, or situation that causes that feeling.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The film was exciting, but I was exhausted afterward. /ðə fɪlm wəz ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ, bət aɪ wəz ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd ˈɑːftəwəd/
The short answer
Use an -ed adjective for the person who feels something and an -ing adjective for what causes the feeling. Say The children were excited about the game and The game was exciting.
I felt exhausted after the exhausting trip.
Why it works: Exhausted describes the speaker's condition. Exhausting describes the trip that caused it.
5 more examples
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The instructions were confusing, and several customers were confused.
Confusing describes the instructions. Confused describes the customers' reaction.
Not this:The customers
confusedthe instructions. What changes: Here confused is a verb meaning made unclear. It is not an adjective describing the customers' feeling. -
The audience was amazed by the amazing light display.
The audience had the reaction. The display caused it.
Not this:The light display
amazedthe audience. What changes: A verb can express the same cause-and-reaction relationship in a different sentence pattern. -
I was disappointed with the disappointing service.
Disappointed names the customer's reaction, while disappointing describes the service.
Not this:The service was
not as good as I expected. What changes: This sentence explains the reason for the reaction without using an -ed or -ing adjective. -
The climb was tiring, but we were not tired at the end.
Tiring describes the activity. Tired describes the walkers' state.
Not this:We
were tiringthe dog by walking too far. What changes: Were tiring is a continuous verb form here. It does not describe the walkers' feeling. -
Her calm answer was reassuring because I had been worried.
Reassuring describes the answer's effect. Worried describes the speaker's earlier feeling.
Not this:Her answer
reassuredme. What changes: Reassured is a verb in this sentence, showing the action that changed the speaker's feeling.
Read the full guide
When you choose between -ed and -ing, ask a simple question: am I describing a reaction, or the cause of that reaction? People can be interested, confused, or worried. A book, instruction, or situation can be interesting, confusing, or worrying. The ending helps the listener see which meaning you intend.
Find the feeling and its cause
Start by finding the two roles in the situation. One person has a reaction, and another person, thing, or event causes it. The -ed adjective normally names the reaction. The -ing adjective normally names the cause.
The delay was frustrating, and the passengers were frustrated.
The delay causes frustration. The passengers experience it.
In a story about a surprising announcement, which word describes the announcement: surprised or surprising?
Use surprising. The announcement causes the reaction. People who hear it may be surprised.
Use -ed for a person's reaction
Use an -ed adjective when you describe how a person feels after an experience. It often follows be, feel, seem, look, or become. A group of people can take the same form because the adjective describes their shared reaction.
Ravi felt relieved after he found his passport.
Relieved tells us Ravi's reaction after the problem ended.
The visitors looked interested in the old photographs.
Choose the adjective for the people: 'After the long meeting, everyone was ____.'
Use tired. Everyone experiences the effect of the meeting.
Use -ing for the cause or effect
Use an -ing adjective when you describe what creates a feeling or has that effect on people. The subject can be a film, a task, a conversation, a person, a noise, or an event. It does not need to be a physical thing.
The documentary was fascinating.
Fascinating describes the documentary as something that can make viewers interested.
Her explanation was encouraging.
Which adjective describes a noise that makes people afraid: frightened or frightening?
Use frightening. The noise produces fear; the people may be frightened.
Use the pair before a noun
These adjectives can come before a noun as well as after be. Put an -ed adjective before a noun when the noun is the person with the reaction. Put an -ing adjective before a noun when the noun causes the reaction.
A bored child waited in the reception area.
The child feels bored, so bored describes the child.
They watched a boring presentation.
Complete the phrase: 'an ____ visitor' for a visitor who wants to know more.
Use interested visitor. The visitor has the feeling of interest.
Avoid common meaning reversals
A change of ending can reverse your meaning. I am boring says that I make other people bored. I am bored says that I feel no interest. Before you choose, identify who or what has the effect and who receives it.
The new employee was worried about the confusing software.
The employee has the worry. The software is the cause of confusion.
I was embarrassed by my embarrassing mistake.
Which sentence means that a speaker causes others to lose interest: 'I am bored' or 'I am boring'?
Use I am boring. It describes the speaker as the cause of other people's boredom.
Check whether the word is really an adjective pair
Do not decide from the ending alone. An -ed form may be a past-participle adjective or part of a verb. An -ing form may be an adjective, a continuous verb, or a noun-like form. Use this lesson's contrast when the sentence is about a feeling or effect.
The locked door stopped us from entering.
Locked describes the door's state. It does not mean that the door feels an emotion.
Walking after dinner helps me relax.
Does crowded in 'a crowded platform' follow the feeling-and-cause contrast?
No. Crowded describes the platform's condition. Read the sentence for meaning instead of applying the pattern automatically.
Before you go
Remember this
Use -ed adjectives for the person who experiences a feeling or reaction: I was bored, confused, and relieved. Use -ing adjectives for the cause: the film was boring, the directions were confusing, and the news was relieving. Ask whether the noun is affected or is causing the effect, then check the sentence context.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Ed and ing adjectives: describe feelings and causes"
What is the difference between bored and boring?
Bored describes the person who has no interest, while boring describes the person, thing, or activity that causes that feeling. You can say that a learner is bored and a task is boring.
The instructions were confusing, and several customers were confused.
Do -ed adjectives always describe people?
They often describe a person's feeling or reaction, but context matters. An -ed word can also describe a state, as in a locked door, or form part of a verb phrase. Use the feeling-and-cause pattern only when it fits the sentence's meaning.
The customers confused the instructions.
Can an -ing adjective describe a person?
Yes. An -ing adjective can describe a person who has an effect on others. A helpful guide can be reassuring, while a dull speaker can be boring. The adjective describes the effect that person creates.
The audience was amazed by the amazing light display.
Can I use these adjectives before a noun?
Yes. Use an -ed adjective before a noun for someone with a reaction, as in an interested customer. Use an -ing adjective for the source of the reaction, as in an interesting article.
The light display amazed the audience.
Are all words ending in -ed or -ing part of this grammar pattern?
No. Some have other established meanings or grammatical jobs. For example, crowded usually describes a condition, and walking can name an activity. Read the complete sentence before deciding what the ending means.
I was disappointed with the disappointing service.