Updated: May 20
Are you using adjectives correctly? Check out this mini-lesson / blog to make sure you are!
So, what are adjectives? Well, adjectives are words that describe things (nouns). More specifically, they can
describe situations, personalities, and how someone feels.
Look at these two examples:
I was so bored on the bus today.
I couldn't finish reading the book because it was really boring.
What is the difference between bored and boring? Why do we use -ed vs -ing?
Have a look at the explanations below and then practice using the different adjective forms in the activities.
-ed Adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe someone's feelings.
Look at these three examples:
I was so excited to see my friends this weekend!
How did you feel when you saw your friends? Excited.
My sister was very surprised when I arrived at her home (she didn't know I was coming)!
How did your sister feel when you arrived? Suprised.
My brother was very annoyed because he couldn't fix his computer yesterday.
How did your brother feel about this broken computer? Annoyed.
-ing Adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe things, situations, and characteristics.
Look at these three examples:
Our holiday was so exciting! We saw so many cool things!
How was the holiday (that thing/ situation)? Exciting.
Books are very boring for me, I don't like reading at all!
How are we describing books (a thing)? Boring.
My brother's friends are the most annoying people I know!
How are we describing my brother's friends (people and their characteristics)? Annoying.
Common Adjectives
Now that you are aware of how to describe feelings (-ed) versus things, characteristics and, situations (-ing), have a look at this list of common adjectives which have both the -ed and -ing forms.
-ed (feelings) | -ing (things/ situations / characteristics) |
interested | interesting |
surprised | surprising |
fascinated | fascinating |
disappointed | disappointing |
shocked | shocking |
tired | tiring |
frightened | frightening |
worried | worrying |
confused | confusing |
depressed | depressing |
frustrated | frustrating |
relaxed | relaxing |
thrilled | thrilling |
satisfied | satisfying |
Practice
Activity 1
How would you describe the pictures? Would you use "excited" or "exciting?"
Try yourself and then listen to the possible answers below.
Activity 2
Do this exercise to see if you really understand how to use -ed and -ing adjectives!
Good Luck!
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Words in the post
characteristic (n.) a feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing
aware (v.) having knowledge of a situation or fact