Participle Adjectives

Introduction

Participle adjectives help us describe feelings, experiences, people, and situations. Many of these adjectives end in -ed or -ing, but their meanings are different.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use participle adjectives correctly, understand the difference between -ed and -ing endings, and avoid common mistakes.

What Are Participle Adjectives?

Participle adjectives are adjectives formed from verbs. They describe how someone feels or what causes a particular feeling.

For example:

The film was boring.
The audience was bored.
The news was surprising.
Everyone was surprised.

Although these adjectives come from the same verbs, they have different meanings.

The main difference:

-ED adjectives describe how someone feels.
-ING adjectives describe the person, thing, or situation that causes the feeling.

Let us explore how they work.

-ED Adjectives — Describing Feelings

We use -ed adjectives to describe someone’s feelings or emotional state.

These adjectives tell us how a person feels because of an experience, event, or situation.

Examples:

I was disappointed with my exam results.
She felt embarrassed after forgetting his name.
We were excited about the upcoming concert.
He was confused by the instructions.
They were frightened during the storm.

Remember: Use -ED adjectives when describing how someone feels.

Common -ED Adjectives

Adjective	Meaning
Interested	Wanting to know more about something
Excited	Feeling happy and enthusiastic
Bored	Feeling uninterested
Confused	Unable to understand something clearly
Surprised	Feeling something unexpected
Disappointed	Feeling unhappy because something was not as expected
Frustrated	Feeling upset because something is difficult or not working
Exhausted	Feeling extremely tired

-ING Adjectives — Describing Causes

We use -ing adjectives to describe someone or something that creates a particular feeling.

These adjectives tell us what causes the emotion.

Examples:

The documentary was fascinating.
His explanation was confusing.
The roller coaster was frightening.
The competition was exciting.
Waiting for several hours was exhausting.

Remember: Use -ING adjectives when describing what causes a feeling.

Common -ING Adjectives

Adjective	Meaning
Interesting	Making someone want to learn more
Exciting	Creating excitement
Boring	Making someone feel uninterested
Confusing	Difficult to understand
Surprising	Unexpected
Disappointing	Not meeting expectations
Frustrating	Causing frustration
Exhausting	Making someone extremely tired

Understanding the Difference

Compare these sentences:

I am bored.

This describes how I feel.

I am boring.

This describes me as someone who makes other people feel bored.

The difference is important because choosing the wrong ending can completely change the meaning.

More Examples

-ED: Feeling	-ING: Cause
She was interested in the book.	The book was interesting.
They were excited about the trip.	The trip was exciting.
He felt confused by the question.	The question was confusing.
We were disappointed with the service.	The service was disappointing.
I was exhausted after the journey.	The journey was exhausting.

Important: -ING adjectives can also describe people.

For example:

My teacher is inspiring.
He is an interesting person.
The comedian was entertaining.

In these sentences, the people create a particular feeling in others.

Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is using an -ing adjective when describing a personal feeling.

Incorrect: I am interesting in photography.

Correct: I am interested in photography.

Incorrect: She was very confusing during the lesson.

Correct: She was very confused during the lesson.

Incorrect: We were exhausting after the long walk.

Correct: We were exhausted after the long walk.

However, remember that some of the incorrect examples could be grammatically correct in a different context. For instance, She was confusing during the lesson means her behaviour or explanations confused other people.

Remember: Think about the meaning of the sentence before choosing -ED or -ING.

Using Participle Adjectives with Prepositions

Particular prepositions commonly follow some participle adjectives.

Adjective	Preposition	Example
Interested	in	She is interested in architecture.
Excited	about	They are excited about the festival.
Bored	with	He is bored with his current routine.
Confused	about	I am confused about the new rules.
Disappointed	with	We were disappointed with the results.
Surprised	by	She was surprised by the announcement.
Frightened	of	He is frightened of heights.
Satisfied	with	They are satisfied with the service.

Practice 1: Drag the Words

Speaking Practice

Create your own sentences using the following participle adjectives. Use each adjective correctly to describe a feeling, person, experience, or situation.