-ed & -ing Adjectives (Participial Adjectives)

Color-coded chart showing -ed and -ing adjectives: base verb → -ing (describes thing causing feeling) → -ed (describes person feeling it). E.g., bore → boring → bored. Designed for A2/B1 English learners.

🟦What Are -ed / -ing Adjectives?

Many adjectives are formed from verbs by adding -ing or -ed. These are called participial adjectives — they look like verb participles but function as adjectives.

✅ -ing = describes the thing or situation causing the feeling
✅ -ed = describes how someone feels

🟩-ed Adjectives → How You Feel

Use -ed to describe the person’s emotion.

✅ We’re tired. Can we stop running?
✅ I’m bored. Let’s play cards.
✅ I was surprised to see her.

🟪-ing Adjectives → What Causes the Feeling

Use -ing to describe the thing or situation that causes the emotion.

✅ Running is very tiring. We don’t want to run.
✅ This film is very boring. Let’s play cards.
✅ Her visit was very surprising. We weren’t expecting her.

🟨⚠️ Common Mistake

❌ I’m interesting in science.
✅ I’m interested in science.

❌ The book was so bored.
✅ The book was so boring.

🟦More Examples

Verb	-ing Adjective (Thing/Situation)	-ed Adjective (Person Feeling)
amaze	amazing	amazed
confuse	confusing	confused
excite	exciting	excited
frighten	frightening	frightened
interest	interesting	interested
relax	relaxing	relaxed
terrify	terrifying	terrified

🟩Quick Summary

✅ -ed Adjectives

Describe how a person feels
Often used with: I’m, She’s, They were, etc.
Examples: bored, tired, surprised, excited

✅ -ing Adjectives

Describe the thing causing the feeling
Often describe movies, books, jobs, weather, events
Examples: boring, tiring, surprising, exciting

🟥💡 Memory Tip

➤ Think: “The movie was boring → I was bored.”
➤ The -ing thing causes the -ed feeling.
➤ Ask: “Who is feeling it?” → Use -ed
➤ Ask: “What is causing the feeling?” → Use -ing

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