-ed / -ing adjectives: bored / boring

Rules

• Rule 1: -ed = how you feel

  An -ed adjective describes how a person feels.

  Pattern: person + be / feel + -ed

  Example: She is excited about her birthday.

  Example: I feel tired.

• Rule 2: -ing = what causes the feeling

  An -ing adjective describes what something or someone is like, the thing that gives you the feeling.

  Pattern: thing / person + be + -ing

  Example: Her birthday party was exciting.

  Example: Swimming is tiring.

• Rule 3: People can be -ing too

  If you use -ing for a person, you're saying they make other people feel that way.

  Example: Our guide was very interesting.

  Example: My little brother is annoying today!

Common mistakes

• I am boring. Let's play a game! → I am bored. Let's play a game!

  Your feeling → -ed. “I am boring” means you're dull!

• The movie was very excited. → The movie was very exciting.

  What the movie was like → -ing.

• I'm interesting in music. → I'm interested in music.

  A person's interest → interested in.