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😃 Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — -ed vs -ing adjectives
Many adjectives come in pairs like bored / boring. The -ed form describes how a person feels; the -ing form describes the thing or situation that causes the feeling: I'm bored, This film is boring.
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How it works
✓ Rule
Use the -ed adjective for the person who has the feeling and the -ing adjective for the person, thing or event that produces it: I'm interested in art because the museum is interesting; The students were excited because the trip was exciting.
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Examples
| -ed (feeling) | -ing (cause) |
|---|---|
| bored | boring |
| interested | interesting |
| excited | exciting |
| tired | tiring |
| surprised | surprising |
| confused | confusing |
| frightened | frightening |
| relaxed | relaxing |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
A very common mistake is saying I'm boring when you mean you feel bored: I'm boring means you make others bored. Say I'm bored (feeling) but The lesson is boring (cause).