ESL Grammar – Adjectives with -ed/-ing ending

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Adjectives that end with -ed and -ing are called participial adjectives, as they are formed from verbs and end in the participial endings -ed and -ing.

Here are some rules to keep in mind:

• Adjectives ending in -ed are used to describe how someone feels, while adjectives ending in -ing describe the thing or person that causes that feeling.
• Adjectives ending in -ed typically describe a feeling or emotion that has already happened or has been completed, while adjectives ending in -ing describe a current feeling or emotion.
• Adjectives ending in -ed often indicate a passive experience or state, while adjectives ending in -ing often indicate an active experience or state.

Examples:

• I am interested in learning French. (active state)
• French is an interesting language to learn. (causes the feeling of interest)
• She was bored during the lecture. (passive state)
• The lecture was boring. (causes the feeling of boredom)
• I am fascinated by the history of Rome. (active state)
• The history of Rome is fascinating. (causes the feeling of fascination)
• He was confused by the directions. (passive state)
• The directions were confusing. (causes the feeling of confusion)

Try some of our Adjectives with -ed/-ing ending resources below.

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