Participle Adjectives Exercise 1
|level: Intermediate (B1/B2)
Participial adjectives come in pairs — one ending in -ing, one in -ed — and choosing the wrong one changes the meaning entirely. This is exercise 1 of 2. The key question is always: does the adjective describe how someone feels, or does it describe something that causes a feeling?
Grammar review
Participle adjectives: -ed vs -ing
Many English adjectives come in pairs — one ending in -ed and one in -ing — with very different meanings.
-ED adjectives describe how a person feels (inner state):
I’m ______. (= I feel this way)
-ING adjectives describe what causes the feeling (the stimulus):
The film was ______. (= it causes this feeling in others)
Quick test: Is the subject a person describing their inner state? → use the -ed form. Is the subject a thing or event that produces the reaction? → use the -ing form.
Common error: Using the -ing form to describe a person implies they are causing that feeling in others, not experiencing it themselves. "She was very boring" means she caused boredom in others, not that she felt bored.
Many English adjectives come in pairs — one ending in -ed and one in -ing — with very different meanings.
-ED adjectives describe how a person feels (inner state):
I’m ______. (= I feel this way)
-ING adjectives describe what causes the feeling (the stimulus):
The film was ______. (= it causes this feeling in others)
Quick test: Is the subject a person describing their inner state? → use the -ed form. Is the subject a thing or event that produces the reaction? → use the -ing form.
Common error: Using the -ing form to describe a person implies they are causing that feeling in others, not experiencing it themselves. "She was very boring" means she caused boredom in others, not that she felt bored.
Choose the correct participial adjective for each sentence.
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER RELATED EXERCISES:
Participle Adjectives 1 (B1/B2)
Participle Adjectives 2 (B1/B2)
Adjective Order 1 (B1/B2)
Adjective Order 2 (B1/B2)
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Participle Adjectives 2 (B1/B2)
Adjective Order 1 (B1/B2)
Adjective Order 2 (B1/B2)
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