Many English adjectives are formed from verbs using the present participle (-ing) or the past participle (-ed), for example interest → interesting / interested. The two forms are not interchangeable: they describe two different sides of the same feeling.
- The documentary was fascinating. (the documentary causes the feeling)
- I was fascinated by the documentary. (I experience the feeling)
- Her explanation was confusing. (the explanation causes confusion)
- The students were confused. (the students experience confusion)
- That was such a boring meeting.
- I was so bored during the meeting.
- The news was shocking to everyone.
- Everyone was shocked by the news.
The -ing Form: Describing the Cause
The -ing adjective describes a person, thing, or situation that produces a feeling or effect in someone else. It answers the question "What is it like?"
- The film was so exciting that nobody wanted it to end.
- His constant complaints are annoying.
- This is the most interesting book I've read this year.
The -ed Form: Describing the Person Affected
The -ed adjective describes how a person feels as a result of something else. It answers the question "How do you feel?" and is normally used only for people (or animals), not for things.
- I was excited when the film started.
- She felt annoyed by his constant complaints.
- We were surprised by how quickly the project finished.
Contrast with Regular Participle Clauses
These adjectives developed from participle forms used in participle clauses, where the same -ing/-ed distinction between "doing" and "having something done to you" also applies, for example Feeling exhausted, she went to bed early versus Exhausting everyone in the room, the speaker refused to stop. The adjective pairs are simply the fixed, lexicalised version of that same active/passive-style contrast.
Summary Table
| -ing (causes the feeling) | -ed (feels it) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| interesting | interested | an interesting job / an interested employee |
| boring | bored | a boring lecture / a bored student |
| tiring | tired | a tiring journey / a tired traveller |
| confusing | confused | confusing instructions / a confused reader |
| frightening | frightened | a frightening noise / a frightened child |
| surprising | surprised | surprising news / a surprised colleague |
Quick test: If you can replace the adjective with "makes people feel ___", use -ing (the meeting was boring = it makes people feel bored). If you can replace it with "I feel ___", use -ed (I was bored = I feel bored).
Common Mistakes
-
Using -ed to describe the cause instead of the person:
Incorrect: The film was very bored.
Correct: The film was very boring. -
Using -ing to describe how a person feels:
Incorrect: I am so boring of this topic.
Correct: I am so bored of this topic. -
Applying -ed to a thing rather than a person:
Incorrect: The story was interested.
Correct: The story was interesting. (the reader, not the story, can be "interested")
Practice Exercises
Grammar Quiz
Test your understanding with targeted questions.
Complete the Sentence
Fill in the gaps to practise the structure.
True or False
Decide whether each example sentence is correct.
Flash Cards
Drill the key rules and example sentences.
Matching Pairs
Match examples to the correct rule or category.
Unjumble
Reorder scrambled words into a correct sentence.
Practise -ing vs -ed Adjectives
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between -ing and -ed adjectives?
An -ing adjective, like "interesting", describes something or someone that causes a feeling. An -ed adjective, like "interested", describes the person who experiences that feeling.
Why is "I am boring" usually wrong?
"I am boring" means that you cause other people to feel bored, which is rarely what a speaker intends. To say you feel bored, use the -ed form: "I am bored."
Can -ed adjectives describe things instead of people?
Not usually. Since -ed adjectives describe an experienced feeling, they are normally reserved for people (or animals), while the thing or situation causing the feeling takes the -ing form, as in "an interesting book" rather than "an interested book."
How can I quickly check which form to use?
Try rephrasing with "makes people feel" for -ing (a boring film makes people feel bored) or with "I feel" for -ed (I felt bored). Whichever fits naturally tells you the correct form.
Are all -ing/-ed adjective pairs formed the same way?
Yes, they follow the same pattern as the present participle (-ing) and past participle (-ed) of the verb they come from, such as "excite" giving "exciting" and "excited", or "tire" giving "tiring" and "tired".
Is "annoyed" or "annoying" used for the person who is bothered?
"Annoyed" describes the person who is bothered, as in "I was annoyed by the noise", while "annoying" describes the thing that causes the bother, as in "That noise is annoying."
Do these adjectives always come from verbs?
Most common -ing/-ed adjective pairs come from verbs expressing emotion or effect, such as "excite", "bore", "confuse", "surprise", "frighten", and "tire", but not every English verb produces a natural adjective pair this way.
What is a common learner mistake with these adjectives?
A frequent mistake is swapping the forms, saying "I am boring" when the speaker means "I am bored", or describing a film as "interested" instead of "interesting."
Can both forms appear in the same sentence?
Yes, this is very common and natural, as in "The lecture was interesting, but by the end I was interested in leaving" or "The meeting was so boring that everyone looked bored."
Is this distinction related to active and passive voice?
Yes, loosely. The -ing form behaves like an active participle (the thing doing the causing), while the -ed form behaves like a passive participle (the person the feeling is done to), which is the same pattern seen in fuller participle phrases.