Bored or boring? ‑ed and ‑ing adjectives
Why 'I am boring' means something very different from 'I am bored', and how to always pick the right one.
Saying I'm boring when you mean I'm bored is a very common mistake, and it changes the meaning in an embarrassing way. The good news: one simple rule fixes it.
The rule
Rule
-ed adjectives describe how a person feels.-ing adjectives describe the thing or person that causes the feeling.
When a person is -ing
A person can be -ing too, but then they cause the feeling in others.
Pairs to know
| Feeling (-ed) | Cause (-ing) |
|---|---|
| bored | boring |
| interested | interesting |
| excited | exciting |
| confused | confusing |
| surprised | surprising |
| exhausted | exhausting |
Don't say
I'm very interesting in music.
Say
I'm very interested in music.
Don't say
The news was very surprised.
Say
The news was very surprising.
Quick check
3 questions · nothing is savedThis lesson is really ___.
I was ___ when I heard the news.
After the long walk, we were ___.
Practise with your own reading
Rock Egg turns articles you choose into quizzes at your level, with daily vocabulary and dictation. Find out where you are with a Level Check.
Keep reading
Why "I am agree" is wrong, and 7 more mistakes from Vietnamese
Verbs that aren't adjectives, missing plurals and other patterns that come from translating word for word.
Used to, be used to, get used to: three phrases, three meanings
They look almost the same, but one is about the past, one is about what feels normal, and one is about change.