Grammar challenge: 'ed' and 'ing' adjectives

From www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/


'ed' and 'ing adjectives
There are several adjectives in English that have 2 forms: an -ed form and an -ing form. The -ing form is for things, and the -ed form is used to describe our feelings.

-ed form: amazed, amused, annoyed, astonished, bored, confused, depressed, disappointed, disgusted, embarrassed, excited, exhausted, frightened, insulted, interested, intrigued, satisfied, shocked, surprised, tempted, terrified, tired, worried.

-ing form: amazing, amusing, annoying, astonishing, boring, confusing, depressing, disappointing, disgusting, embarrassing, exciting, exhausting, frightening, insulting, interesting, intriguing, satisfying, shocking, surprising, tempting, terrifying, tiring, worrying.


Adjectives are used to give more information about nouns. They're used with the verb 'to be' or with verbs like look, seem, feel, sound, appear, etc.

-ed adjectives: example sentences
I'm not interested in football.
We were all surprised when they got married.
He was shocked at the news.

The lecture made me feel really bored.
She felt very disappointed with her exam results.
The children looked very tired when they got back from the trip.

-ing adjectives: example sentences
I don't think football is a very interesting game.
Their marriage was very surprising.
They thought the news was shocking.

I'm not going to that lecture: it sounds really boring.
Her exam results seemed disappointing, but the university accepted her anyway.
The trip looks very tiring. We'd better go to bed early tonight.