Adjectives ending in -ing and -ed (boring/bored etc.)
There are many adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. For
example, boring and bored. Study this example situation. The words like
‘exhausted’ and ‘smiling’ cab be used as adjectives. Adjectives ending in –ing
describe what someone or something is like, whereas adjectives ending in –ed
describe how someone feels. Compare: Jane has been doing the same job for
a very long time. Every day she does exactly the same thing again and again.
She doesn't enjoy it anymore and would like to do something different.
Jane's Job is boring.
Jane is bored (with her job).
Somebody is bored if something (or somebody else) is
boring. Or, if something is boring, it makes you bored. So:
* Jane is bored because her job is boring.
* Jane's job is boring, so Jane is bored.
(Not 'Jane is boring')
If a person is boring, this means that they
make other people bored:
* George always talks about the same things.
He's really boring.
B. Compare adjectives ending in -ing and -ed: You can
say:
* My job is boring.
* My job is interesting.
* My job is tiring.
* My job satisfying.
* My job is depressing.
* My job is pleasing. (etc.)
The -ing adjective tells you about the job. You can say:
* I'm bored with my job.
* I'm not interested in my job anymore.
* I'm always tired when I finish work.
* I'm not satisfied with my job.
* My job makes me depressed. (Etc.)
The -ed adjective tells you how somebody feels (about the
job). Compare these examples:
Interesting
* Julia thinks politics is very interesting.
* Did you meet anyone interesting
at the party?
surprising
* It was quite surprising that he
passed the examination.
disappointing
* The film was disappointing. I
expected it to be much better.
shocking
* The news was shocking.
interested
* Julia is very interested in
politics. (not 'interesting in politics')
* Are you interested in buying a
car? I'm trying to sell mine.
surprised
* Everybody was surprised that he
passed the examination.
disappointed
* I was disappointed with the
film. I expected it to be much better.
shocked
* We were very shocked when we
heard the news.
Exercises
1 Complete the sentences for each
situation. Use the word given + the ending -ing or -ed.
1. The film wasn't as good as we
had expected. (disappoint-)
a. The film was disappointing.
b. We were disappointed with the
film.
2. Diana teaches young children.
It's a very hard job but she enjoys it. (exhaust-)
a. She enjoys her job but it's
often ---.
b. At the end of a day's work,
she is often ---.
3. It's been raining all day. I
hate this weather. (depress-)
a. This weather is ---.
b. This weather makes me ---.
c. It's silly to get --- because
of the weather.
4. Clare is going to the United
States next month. She has never been there before. (excite-)
a. It will be an --- experience
for her.
b. Going to new places is always
---.
c. She is really --- about going
to the United States.
2 Choose the correct word.
1. I was _disappointing/disappointed_
with the film. I had expected it to be better.
2. Are you
_interesting/interested_ in football?
3. The football match was quite
_exciting/excited_ I enjoyed it.
4. It's sometimes
_embarrassing/embarrassed_ when you have to ask people for money.
5. Do you easily get
_embarrassing/embarrassed?_
6. I had never expected to get
the job. I was really _amazing/amazed_ when I was offered it.
7. She has really learned very
fast. She has made _astonishing/astonished_ progress.
8. 1 didn't find the situation
funny. I was not _amusing/amused._
9. It was a really
_terrifying/terrified_ experience. Afterward, everybody was very
_shocking/shocked._
10 Why do you always look so
_boring/bored?_ Is your life really so _boring/bored?_
11. He's one of the most
_boring/bored_ people I've ever met. He never stops talking and he never says
anything _interesting/interested._
3 Complete the sentences using
one of the words in the box.
amusing/amused,
confusing/confused, exhausting/exhausted, annoying/annoyed disgusting/disgusted interesting/interested boring/bored exciting/excited surprising/surprised
1. He works very hard. It's not
_surprising_ that he's always tired.
2. I've got nothing to do. I'm
---.
3. The teacher's explanation was
---. Most of the students didn't understand it.
4. The kitchen hadn't been
cleaned for ages. It was really ---.
5. I seldom visit art galleries.
I'm not particularly --- in art.
6. There's no need to get ---
just because I'm a few minutes late.
7. The lecture was ---. I fell
asleep.
8. I asked Emily if she wanted to
come out with us but she wasn't ---.
9. I've been working very hard
all day and now I'm ---.
10. I'm starting a new job next
week. I'm quite --- about it.
11. Tom is very good at telling
funny stories. He can be very ---.
12. Liz is a very --- person. She
knows a lot, she's traveled a lot and she's done lots of different things.
From the English book of NEB XI page no. 47
Choose the correct word.
a. Sarita was shocking/shocked to hear about the earthquake.
Ans: Shocked
b. I think that rainy days in winter are
depressing/depressed.
Ans: Depressing
c. The football match was very exciting/excited. I enjoyed
it.
Ans: exciting
d. The meals at Delight Café are satisfying/satisfied.
Ans: Satisfying
e. I've got nothing to do. I'm boring/bored.
Ans: bored
f. Tanka is very good at telling funny stories. He can be
very amusing/amused.
Ans: amusing
g. The teacher's explanation was confusing/confused. Most of
the students didn't understand it.
Ans: confusing
h. He is such a boring/bored person. He never wants to go
out.
Ans: boring
i. I will be surprising/surprised if she does well in her
test.
Ans: surprised
j. Are you interesting/interested in politics?
Ans: Interested
E. Write the correct form of the adjective in
the blanks as in the example.
For example - Grammar rules frustrate me. They're not
logical. They are so frustrating.
a. They frustrate me but they don't bore me. I never get ……
when I study grammar.
Ans: bored
b. If teachers want to interest the students, they must use
…… materials.
Ans: interesting
c. Certain stories interest almost everybody. For example,
most students are … in fairy tales.
Ans: Interested
d. Certain things frighten me, but I never get …… when I
speak English.
Ans: frightened
e. If I get a good grade, that excites me. And if I get more
than ninety percent, I am really ……
Ans: excited