Many adjectives come in pairs, one ending in -ing and one in -ed. The -ing adjective describes the thing that causes the feeling; the -ed adjective describes the person who has it.
A One situation, two adjectives
A great many adjectives end in -ing or -ed: boring and bored, tiring and tired, and so on.
Consider Neil. He has stamped parking permits at the council offices in Barnsley for nineteen years. Every morning brings the same forms, the same stamp and the same queue. He no longer enjoys it and would quite like to do something else.
Neil's job is boring. The job causes the feeling.
Neil is bored with his job. Neil has the feeling.
Somebody is bored, or gets bored, because something (or somebody) is boring. Neil is not boring. His job is.
If you describe a person as boring, you mean that this person makes other people bored. That is a rather heavier charge.
- Neil's bored because his job is boring.
- Neil's job is boring, so Neil's bored.
- My uncle only ever talks about his lawnmower. He's really boring.
B Comparing -ing and -ed
The -ing adjective tells you about the thing: the job, the film, the news. The -ed adjective tells you how somebody feels about it.
| The thing (-ing) | The person (-ed) |
|---|---|
| My course is boring. | I'm bored with my course. |
| My course is interesting. | I'm interested in my course. |
| My course is tiring. | I get tired doing my course. |
| My course is satisfying. | I'm satisfied with my course. |
| My course is depressing. | My course makes me depressed. |
The same pattern holds for surprising/surprised, disappointing/disappointed, shocking/shocked, exciting/excited, confusing/confused and many others.
Note the prepositions that tend to follow the -ed form: interested in, bored with, disappointed with, surprised at/by. One is interested in politics, never interesting in it.
- Hannah thinks history is interesting.
- Hannah's interested in history.
- Are you interested in a second-hand bike? I'm selling mine.
- Did you meet anyone interesting at the wedding?
- It was surprising that the bus came on time.
- Everyone was surprised that the bus came on time.
- The concert was disappointing. We'd expected much more.
- We were disappointed with the concert.
- The news about the factory was shocking.
- I was shocked when I heard about the factory.
Exercises
98.1 Read each situation, then complete the sentences. Use the word in brackets with -ing or -ed.
The match was nowhere near as good as we had hoped. (disappoint...) a The match was disappointing. b We were disappointed with the match.
The match was disappointing. We were disappointed with the match.
Callum is a nurse on a busy ward. The shifts are long, but he loves the work. (exhaust...) a He loves his job, but it's often . b When he gets home in the morning, he's usually .
He loves his job, but it's often exhausting. When he gets home in the morning, he's usually exhausted.
It has been grey and drizzly for nine days in a row. (depress...) a This weather is . b This weather makes me . c There's no point getting about the weather.
This weather is depressing. This weather makes me depressed. There's no point getting depressed about the weather.
Ffion is flying to Japan in the spring. She has never been outside Europe. (excit...) a It'll be an trip for her. b Travelling somewhere completely new is always . c She's really about going to Japan.
It'll be an exciting trip for her. Travelling somewhere completely new is always exciting. She's really excited about going to Japan.
98.2 Choose the correct word.
I was ___ (disappointing / disappointed) with the hotel. The photos had made it look much bigger.
disappointed
I was disappointed with the hotel. The photos had made it look much bigger.
I'm not especially ___ (interesting / interested) in cricket.
I'm not especially interested in cricket.
The new course sounds ___ (exciting / excited). I can't wait to start.
The new course sounds exciting. I can't wait to start.
It's quite ___ (embarrassing / embarrassed) when you forget someone's name halfway through a conversation.
It's quite embarrassing when you forget someone's name halfway through a conversation.
Does your brother get ___ (embarrassing / embarrassed) when people sing to him on his birthday?
Does your brother get embarrassed when people sing to him on his birthday?
I never thought I'd win the raffle. I was ___ (amazing / amazed) when they called my number.
I never thought I'd win the raffle. I was amazed when they called my number.
He only started playing the piano last year. He's made ___ (amazing / amazed) progress.
He only started playing the piano last year. He's made amazing progress.
Everyone else laughed at his joke, but I wasn't ___ (amusing / amused).
Everyone else laughed at his joke, but I wasn't amused.
I'm ___ (interesting / interested) in joining the choir. When do you rehearse?
I'm interested in joining the choir. When do you rehearse?
The storm last night was really ___ (frightening / frightened). Everyone in the street was ___ (shocking / shocked) by the damage.
The storm last night was really frightening. Everyone in the street was shocked by the damage.
Why do you always look so ___ (boring / bored)? Is your course really that ___ (boring / bored)?
Why do you always look so bored? Is your course really that boring?
She's one of the most ___ (boring / bored) people I know. She talks for hours and never says anything ___ (interesting / interested).
She's one of the most boring people I know. She talks for hours and never says anything interesting.
98.3 Complete each sentence using a word from the box.
amusing/amusedannoying/annoyedboring/boredconfusing/confuseddisgusting/disgustedexciting/excitedexhausting/exhaustedinteresting/interestedsurprising/surprised
You never go to bed before two. It's not surprising that you can't get up in the morning.
You never go to bed before two. It's not surprising that you can't get up in the morning.
Some children get very quickly. They need a new game every ten minutes.
Some children get bored very quickly. They need a new game every ten minutes.
The instructions for the bookcase were really . Nobody could work out which screw went where.
The instructions for the bookcase were really confusing. Nobody could work out which screw went where.
Nobody had emptied the bin in the staff room for a fortnight. The smell was .
Nobody had emptied the bin in the staff room for a fortnight. The smell was disgusting.
I don't watch much sport. I'm not very in it.
I don't watch much sport. I'm not very interested in it.
There's no need to get just because the train's ten minutes late.
There's no need to get annoyed just because the train's ten minutes late.
The talk on tax law was very . Half the audience fell asleep.
The talk on tax law was very boring. Half the audience fell asleep.
I've been moving furniture since eight o'clock this morning, and now I'm .
I've been moving furniture since eight o'clock this morning, and now I'm exhausted.
We're moving to Edinburgh next month. The children are very about it.
We're moving to Edinburgh next month. The children are very excited about it.
My grandad tells brilliant stories about his time on the buses. He can be very .
My grandad tells brilliant stories about his time on the buses. He can be very amusing.
Rhian is a very person. She's lived in four countries and she's done all sorts of jobs.
Rhian is a very interesting person. She's lived in four countries and she's done all sorts of jobs.