-ed vs -ing Adjectives: Expressing Feelings & Situations

Welcome to this intensive self-study course! By the end, you’ll be able to confidently use adjectives ending in -ed and -ing to describe feelings and situations in English. This course connects grammar with real-life experience so learning is practical, engaging, and memorable.

Module 1: Introduction — Understanding Feelings & Situations

Some adjectives describe how a person feels (-ed adjectives), and some describe the cause of that feeling (-ing adjectives). Understanding this distinction is crucial for accurate communication.

Reflection: Ask yourself two questions:

Who feels it? → Use -ed adjectives
What causes it? → Use -ing adjectives

Note: These two simple questions help prevent the most common mistakes and make your English sound natural.

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Module 2: Connecting -ed to Personal Experience

The power of the -ed ending lies in its ability to convey a deep, personal connection to your emotion. It's not about the external world; it's about your inner world.

Imagine you just finished a marathon. You would likely feel exhausted. This adjective perfectly captures the intense internal state you are experiencing. Only you can truly feel it. This is the magic of -ed adjectives: they give your personal experience a voice.

Note: Using -ed adjectives allows you to articulate your precise emotional landscape, making communication incredibly clear and relatable.

Examples of Internal Emotional States

Bored: Feeling uninterested or weary — e.g., sitting through a long lecture.
Frustrated: Annoyed or blocked from achieving a goal — e.g., struggling with a puzzle.
Satisfied: Contentment or fulfillment — e.g., finishing a painting you are proud of.
Worried: Anxiety or concern — e.g., waiting for exam results.

Over 80% of adjectives describing a person's emotional state in daily English end in -ed! That shows how vital they are.

Reflection Exercise

“I felt frustrated when my internet stopped working during my online class.”
“She was satisfied after finishing her painting.”
“We were bored during the long meeting.”
“He felt worried about his exam results.”

Practice: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in parentheses.

I was ______ by the long lecture. (bore)
She felt ______ after completing her project. (satisfy)
They were ______ because the meeting was confusing. (confuse)

ANSWERS

I was ______ by the long lecture. bored
She felt ______ after completing her project. satisfied
They were ______ because the meeting was confusing. confused

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Module 3: Common Mistakes with -ed Adjectives

Many learners incorrectly use -ed to describe objects or situations. Remember: -ed = feelings experienced by a person.

Incorrect	Correct	Why
The movie was bored.	I was bored by the movie.	The movie doesn’t feel; the person does.
I feel boring.	I feel bored.	The person experiences the emotion; they do not cause it.

Tip: Always ask: "Who feels it?" → use -ed.

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Module 4: Connecting -ing to Situations

-ing adjectives describe the cause of a feeling. They highlight the qualities in things, situations, or people that produce emotions.

Imagine sitting through a long lecture. You feel bored, but the lecture itself is boring. One adjective focuses on your internal feeling; the other on the source causing that feeling.

Note: Ask: "What is causing this feeling?" → Use -ing adjectives to describe the source.

Examples

The movie is boring. → It causes boredom.
The book was interesting. → It creates interest.
The long walk was tiring. → It caused tiredness.
The party sounds exciting. → It provokes excitement.

Practice

The lecture is boring.
The project was frustrating.
The exam is confusing.

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Module 5: Common Mistakes with -ing Adjectives

Incorrect	Correct	Why
I feel boring.	I feel bored.	Focus on the person, not the cause.
The lecture is tired.	The lecture is tiring.	The lecture causes tiredness; it is not tired itself.

Tip: "-ing" = source/cause, "-ed" = personal feeling.

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Module 6: Paired -ed vs -ing Adjectives

Understanding adjective pairs is crucial. Here’s how internal feelings (-ed) compare to their sources (-ing).

-ed (Feeling)	-ing (Cause)	Context Example
Bored	Boring	I felt bored because the lecture was boring.
Interested	Interesting	She was interested because the book was interesting.
Excited	Exciting	He felt excited; the party was exciting.
Tired	Tiring	They were tired; the long walk was tiring.
Confused	Confusing	We felt confused; the instructions were confusing.
Annoyed	Annoying	He was annoyed; the noise was annoying.
Amazed	Amazing	She was amazed; the performance was amazing.

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Module 7: Using Adverbs with -ed/-ing Adjectives

Adverbs modify adjectives to show degree or intensity. Place them before the adjective:

She was extremely interested in the lecture.
The journey was incredibly tiring.
He felt slightly confused.
It was a surprisingly boring presentation.

Tip: Combine adverbs with -ed/-ing adjectives to convey precise intensity of emotions and causes.

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Module 8: Reflection & Sentence Construction

Practice connecting feelings and causes:

The news was shocking.
I was shocked.
The clown is amusing.
The children are amused.

Reflection: Think of a recent experience. Which adjectives describe your feeling, and which describe the cause?

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Module 9: Feeling/Cause

Use this table to memorize pairs.

Feeling	CausE
Bored	Boring
Interested	Interesting
Excited	Exciting
Tired	Tiring
Confused	Confusing
Annoyed	Annoying
Amazed	Amazing
Frightened	Frightening
Exhausted	Exhausting
Disappointed	Disappointing
Embarrassed	Embarrassing
Satisfied	Satisfying

Tip: Cover one column and try recalling the pair to test yourself. Repeat daily to strengthen memory.

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Module 10: Final Reflection & Practice

Write your own sentences combining -ed/-ing adjectives with adverbs. Example prompts:

“I felt ______ after ______.”
“The ______ was ______.”
“She was ______ because ______.”
“The ______ is ______.”

Check your sentences against the examples above. Aim to use at least 5 new adjectives daily.

Congratulations! You now have a full set of tools to describe feelings, causes, and experiences clearly in English.

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Pocast

Dialogue

Bill
Ever noticed how we say ‘bored’ and ‘boring,’ but they mean totally different things? It trips up so many English learners—I’ve seen even advanced students pause to double-check.
Mary
Honestly, it got me for ages! I’d say, ‘The movie was bored,’ when what I really meant was that I was bored because the movie was boring. It’s subtle, but it changes the whole sentence.
Bill
Exactly! The trick is—are we talking about how you feel, or what’s causing the feeling? That’s where the -ed and -ing endings come in. If you ask yourself, ‘Who feels it?’—that’s your clue to use -ed.
Mary
And if you flip it—thinking, ‘What’s making me feel this way?’—that’s your signal for -ing. Once I started using those two questions, my English sounded way more natural. It’s like having a map for tricky emotions.
Bill
That actually reminds me of after I finished a marathon. I wasn’t just tired—I was exhausted! ‘Exhausted’ with the -ed ending really nails how I felt inside. It’s powerful, right?
Mary
Totally! I love how -ed adjectives give you a way to talk about that personal, inner world. Like, after a long meeting, I’ll say, ‘I’m bored’—not ‘I’m boring.’ Those little differences make a huge impact on how others understand you.
Bill
Exactly. And the cool thing? Most adjectives for feelings in daily English actually end in -ed. So, mastering them is key if you want to express yourself clearly—things like ‘frustrated’ when your computer crashes, or ‘satisfied’ after nailing a project.
Mary
Plus, it’s so easy to make mistakes. I’ve caught myself saying, ‘I feel confusing,’ when I really meant ‘confused.’ The difference is hilarious but also so important!
Bill
Funny you mention that—because now we get to the ’cause’ side of things. If the meeting was two hours of dense charts, I’d call it ‘boring.’ The meeting is boring, which makes me feel bored.
Mary
Right, or when I read a book that’s full of twists, I’ll say the book is ‘interesting.’ Then I’m interested! It’s neat how English lets you flip the adjective ending to show where the feeling comes from.
Bill
And that’s where people often mix it up—like saying, ‘The lecture is tired.’ But lectures can’t feel tired. They can be ‘tiring,’ meaning they make you tired!
Mary
I’ve made that mistake before. Now, whenever I’m unsure, I just ask, ‘Is this about my feeling or what’s causing it?’ If it’s the source, it’s almost always the -ing form.
Bill
After practicing, it starts to feel natural pairing these adjectives, right? Like, ‘I felt confused because the instructions were confusing.’ It’s a tidy little formula.
Mary
Exactly, and adding adverbs makes it even more expressive! Think, ‘She was extremely interested in the lecture,’ or, ‘The journey was incredibly tiring.’ You can really fine-tune your meaning.
Bill
I love that. And it gets super fun when you try to make your own combinations. For example, last week, ‘I was surprisingly amused by a topic I thought would be dull!’
Mary
That’s the best way to lock it in—try making sentences about your own day. If you ever get stuck, those adjective pairs, like ‘amazed’ and ‘amazing,’ are perfect flashcards to quiz yourself.
Bill
One last thing—don’t be shy about mixing these into your daily speech. Five new adjectives a day adds up fast. Before you know it, you’ll be describing feelings and situations like a native speaker.
Mary
Absolutely! And if you ever need a quick reminder, just ask those two questions: ‘Who feels it?’ and ‘What causes it?’ That’s your secret weapon for natural, confident English. Fantastic! You did a great job today.

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