'-ed' and '-ing' adjectives
Do you sometimes get confused about whether to use an adjective ending in '-ing' or '-ed'? Don't worry, lots of people have trouble with these words.
-ing adjectives are used to describe things: 'The lecture was boring.'
-ed adjectives are used to describe our feelings: 'I felt very bored.'
Do you sometimes get confused about whether to use an adjective ending in '-ing' or '-ed'? Don't worry, lots of people have trouble with these words.
-ing adjectives are used to describe things: 'The lecture was boring.'
-ed adjectives are used to describe our feelings: 'I felt very bored.'
| -ed form | -ing form |
| annoyed | annoying |
| bored | boring |
| confused | confusing |
| embarrassed | embarrassing |
| surprised | surprising |
| worried | worrying |
| interested | interesting |
See more examples (pdf - 39k) Download Catherine's full grammar explanation (pdf - 37k) 
Now it's your turn to practise using -ed and -ing adjectives. Go to our first quiz page here.