Level: B1

Participial Adjectives — -ing vs -ed

Tell apart adjectives ending in -ing (which describe the CAUSE — what makes you feel something) from adjectives ending in -ed (which describe the FEELING — how you feel). Includes the classic ESL trap (I am boring vs I am bored) and 48 click-to-hear example sentences.

📝 Adjectives unit · lesson 4 of 10 ⏱ about 11 minutes 🔊 every example has audio

Builds on Adjectives — the guide Next in unit Royal Order →

-ing or -ed? Quick guide

Many English adjectives come from verbs and end in either -ing or -ed. Same root, different jobs.

-ing form describes the cause / source — the thing that creates the feeling.
The movie was boring. (the movie causes boredom) It was an interesting book. (the book creates interest)
-ed form describes the feeling / receiver — the person who feels the emotion.
I was bored by the movie. (I felt bored) She is interested in history. (she feels interested)

⚠️ The classic ESL trap

When describing yourself, almost always use the -ed form. “I am boring” actually means you bore other people — usually not what you want to say!

I am boring in this class.

I am bored in this class.

She was confusing by the question.

She was confused by the question.

I am interesting in learning Spanish.

I am interested in learning Spanish.

📖 Want the full explanation with the common-pairs reference table? See English Adjectives → Participial adjectives on the main grammar page.

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Same root in both forms (matched pairs)
The movie was boring. – Cause
I was bored by the movie. – Feeling
It was an interesting book. – Cause
She is interested in history. – Feeling
That was a tiring trip. – Cause
We were tired after the trip. – Feeling
The news was surprising. – Cause
Everyone was surprised by the news. – Feeling
The fireworks were amazing. – Cause
The children were amazed by the fireworks. – Feeling
His behavior is shocking. – Cause
I am shocked by his behavior. – Feeling
The instructions were confusing. – Cause
The students were confused by the instructions. – Feeling
Their constant talking is annoying. – Cause
I am annoyed by their constant talking. – Feeling
This music is so relaxing. – Cause
I feel relaxed when I listen to this music. – Feeling
That horror movie was frightening. – Cause
The kids were frightened by the horror movie. – Feeling
Falling in public is embarrassing. – Cause
I was embarrassed when I fell in public. – Feeling
The rainy weather is depressing. – Cause
She feels depressed in rainy weather. – Feeling
The roller coaster was exciting. – Cause
The kids were excited about the roller coaster. – Feeling
The thunder was terrifying. – Cause
The dog was terrified by the thunder. – Feeling
The documentary was fascinating. – Cause
I was fascinated by the documentary. – Feeling
The test results were disappointing. – Cause
She felt disappointed with her test results. – Feeling
The meal was satisfying. – Cause
We were satisfied with the meal. – Feeling
The teacher’s words were encouraging. – Cause
The students felt encouraged by the teacher’s words. – Feeling
More -ing forms (cause / source)
The puzzle is challenging. – Cause
Long meetings are exhausting. – Cause
This story is touching. – Cause
The view from the top is breathtaking. – Cause
His speech was inspiring. – Cause
That joke was amusing. – Cause
More -ed forms (feeling / receiver)
She was thrilled by the surprise party. – Feeling
He looked worried about the exam. – Feeling
The audience was delighted by the show. – Feeling
The coach was pleased with our performance. – Feeling
The children were bored at the museum. – Feeling
I felt motivated after the talk. – Feeling

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