Hello!
I hope you've enjoyed your weekend :)
Another common mistake we are going to examine today is the difference between adjectives ending in -ed and those ending in -ing.
The Grammatical Rules
Adjectives ending with -ed mainly describe feelings. These adjectives are usually (but not always) applied to people.
I am bored or I feel bored. I am confused or I feel confused.
While adjectives ending with -ing describe things that give us a particular feeling. We normally use them to describe objects and other people, but we may also use them to describe ourselves.
The film is boring.
My homework was very confusing.
Understanding the Difference
For example, what is the difference between"bored" and "boring"?
You know that in English there is only the verb "to be", while in Spanish there's the permanent verb "ser" and the temporary verb "estar". I think this comparison will help you understand the difference in adjectives:
I am bored (Estoy aburrido)
I am boring (Soy aburrido)
Adjectives ending in -ed are a temporary "to be" ("estar") because they describe our feelings at that moment. Adjectives ending in -ing are more permanent, therefore used in the sense of "ser".
So next time you doubt between -ed and -ing, have a think and remember the trick:
-ed = ESTAR
- ing = SER
Practice
You can take this quiz to practise the difference between -ing adjectives and -ed adjectives. I hope the exercises helps you!
http://www.roadtogrammar.com --> Quiz 3 (Adjectives with -ed and -ing)
Alternatively, you can find the same exercises below if you prefer to write them down:
1 The monster is ___________.
A| frightened B| frightening
2 I felt __________ when I saw the monster.
A| frightened B| frightening
3 Little Joe was getting ____________ during the class.
A| bored B| boring
4 He reckoned that the class was ________.
A| bored B| boring
5 It's so _________ when the elevator breaks down. A| annoyed B| annoying
6 George gets so __________ when the elevator breaks down.
A| annoying B| annoyed
7 What an ___________ sight!
A| amazing B| amazed
8 George was ____________ at the news.
A| amazed B| amazing
9 What an ___________ time we had!
A| exciting B| excited
10 George gets very _________ when there's a war.
A| exciting B| excited
11 That was such an _______ trip! A| exhausted B| exhausting
12 Pete was _______ after running the marathon.
A| exhausting B| exhausted
13 The poor kitten was _______ during the thunderstorm.
A| terrified B| terrifying
14 It was a _______ experience for the kitten.
A| terrified B| terrifying
15 It was so _______ when I tripped and fell during the awards ceremony!
A| embarrassed B| embarrassing
16 I felt so _______ when I spilled chocolate sauce on my blouse.
A| embarrassing B| embarrassed
17 This chapter of our course is so _______.
A| confusing B| confused
18 She is _______ and she doesn’t know where to go.
A| confused B| confusing
19 I am _______ that you didn’t visit the Vatican when you were in Rome.
A| surprising B| surprised
20 The movie has such a _______ ending.
A| surprising B| surprised
21 I was _______ to find my front door wide open.
A| alarming B| alarmed
22 There is an _______ number of unemployed people in this region.
A| alarmed B| alarming
23 The lights and music were _______.
A| overwhelmed B| overwhelming
24 Jenny was _______ by the number of fans who turned up.
A| overwhelmed B| overwhelming
25 Joe was _______ by the commotion going on outside.
A| distracted B| distracting
26 It’s really _______ when your phone rings every two minutes.
A| distracted B| distracting
Answer Key: 1|B
2|A
3|A
4|B
5|B
6|B
7|A
8|A
9|A
10|B
11|B
12|B
13|A
14|B
15|B 16|B
17|A
18|A
19|B
20|A
21|B
22|B
23|B
24|A
25|A
26|B
Thank you!
Best wishes,
Carla
Thank you, Karen :)
Great post.