Many English adjectives come in pairs built from the same verb: bored/boring, interested/interesting, excited/exciting. They look almost identical, but mean something completely different, and mixing them up is one of the most common, most noticeable errors learners make, since "I am boring" and "I am bored" describe two entirely different things.
The good news is that the underlying logic is simple and completely consistent once you see it clearly.
2. Quick Summary
⚡ -ed vs -ing Adjectives at a Glance
-ed adjectivesDescribe how a person feels: bored, interested, excited
-ing adjectivesDescribe the thing or situation that causes the feeling: boring, interesting, exciting
Example"The film was boring, so I was bored."
Common Mistake"I am boring" when you mean "I am bored"
Memory Tip-ing describes the source; -ed describes the receiver of the feeling.
3. The Rule
Form
Describes
Example
-ed
The person experiencing the feeling
I am bored. She was surprised.
-ing
The thing, person or situation causing the feeling
This film is boring. The news was surprising.
💡
A simple test
Ask: does this word describe a person's internal feeling, or the outside thing causing that feeling? "The lecture was boring" (the lecture causes it) → -ing. "I felt bored during the lecture" (I experience it) → -ed.
4. 20 Common -ed / -ing Pairs
-ed (feeling)
-ing (cause)
bored
boring
interested
interesting
excited
exciting
surprised
surprising
confused
confusing
tired
tiring
annoyed
annoying
frightened
frightening
amazed
amazing
disappointed
disappointing
embarrassed
embarrassing
exhausted
exhausting
fascinated
fascinating
satisfied
satisfying
shocked
shocking
stressed
stressing
relaxed
relaxing
worried
worrying
convinced
convincing
depressed
depressing
5. Word Order With These Adjectives
Both forms follow standard adjective rules: they can go before a noun, or after a linking verb like "be," "feel," "seem" or "look."
It was a boring lecture. / The lecture was boring.
I felt bored during the lecture. / I was a bored student.
6. Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct
Why
I am boring at work today.
I am bored at work today.
You mean the feeling you experience, so use -ed.
This book is very interested.
This book is very interesting.
The book causes the feeling, so use -ing.
She was exciting about the trip.
She was excited about the trip.
She experiences the feeling of excitement, so use -ed.
The film was very disappointed.
The film was very disappointing.
The film causes disappointment, so use -ing.
I'm so annoying by the noise.
I'm so annoyed by the noise.
You experience annoyance, so use -ed, followed by "by."
7. Exercises
A. Gap Fill — Complete with the correct -ed or -ing adjective (10 questions)
1. The film was so ___ (bore) that I fell asleep.
2. I was ___ (bore) during the whole film.
3. This is a really ___ (interest) topic.
4. I'm very ___ (interest) in learning Spanish.
5. The news was ___ (surprise) — nobody expected it.
6. We were all ___ (surprise) by the announcement.
7. The instructions were ___ (confuse), so nobody understood them.
8. I felt completely ___ (confuse) by the instructions.
9. That was an ___ (exhaust) day at work.
10. I feel totally ___ (exhaust) after that meeting.
2. This lecture is really ___. (a) boring (b) bored
3. She was ___ by the result. (a) shocking (b) shocked
4. The result was ___. (a) shocking (b) shocked
5. I'm ___ about the trip. (a) exciting (b) excited
6. The trip sounds ___. (a) exciting (b) excited
7. We were ___ with the service. (a) satisfying (b) satisfied
8. The service was ___. (a) satisfying (b) satisfied
Show Answers (B)
1.b 2.a 3.b 4.a 5.b 6.a 7.b 8.a
C. Error Correction (6 questions)
1. I am boring at work today.
2. This book is very interested.
3. She was exciting about the trip.
4. The film was very disappointed.
5. I'm so annoying by the noise.
6. He felt embarrassing after the mistake.
Show Answers (C)
1. I am bored at work today. 2. This book is very interesting. 3. She was excited about the trip. 4. The film was very disappointing. 5. I'm so annoyed by the noise. 6. He felt embarrassed after the mistake.
D. Freer Practice — Write Your Own Sentences (2 tasks)
1. Write a sentence describing something you find boring, using both boring and bored.
2. Write a sentence describing something exciting that happened to you, using excited.
Show Answers (D)
Model answers will vary. Examples: 1. "Long meetings are boring, and I always feel bored by the end." 2. "I was really excited when I got the job offer."
8. Mini Quiz
9. Exam Focus — Cambridge, IELTS, SELT
Exam
How This Is Tested
Sample Question
Cambridge A2 Key / B1 Preliminary
-ed/-ing choice in Reading and Use of English is a classic, frequently tested pattern.
"The film was ___ (bore)." (boring)
Cambridge B2 First
Word formation tasks requiring the correct adjective form from a root word.
Word formation: EXCITE → "I was ___ about the news." (excited)
IELTS Speaking
Accurate use signals natural, idiomatic control of feeling-based vocabulary.
Describing experiences and reactions naturally in Speaking Parts 2 and 3.
Trinity GESE/ISE (SELT)
Describing personal feelings and reactions to events in conversation.
"How did you feel when that happened?"
10. Frequently Asked Questions
-ed adjectives describe how a person feels (bored); -ing adjectives describe the thing or situation causing that feeling (boring).
Because they come from the same verb and look almost identical, but the direction of meaning (feeling vs cause) is completely different.
Only if you genuinely mean that you, as a person, are boring to be around, not that you feel bored. This is exactly the kind of mix-up that causes confusion.
Yes — both forms behave like normal adjectives: 'a bored student' and 'a boring lecture' are both correct, describing different things.
Ask whether the word describes a person's internal feeling (use -ed) or the external thing causing that feeling (use -ing).
Yes — describing your reactions and feelings about experiences is a very common conversational topic in Trinity GESE/ISE speaking tests.
📅 Ready to Master -ed vs -ing Adjectives — and Every Other Grammar Point?
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