Participles as Adjectives
Learn how to use present participles (-ing) and past participles (-ed) as adjectives to describe feelings and states
⏰ When do we use Participles as Adjectives
We use participles as adjectives to:
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Describe What Causes Feelings (Present Participles -ing):
- The movie was really interesting. (The movie caused interest.)
- The book is boring. (The book causes boredom.)
-
Describe Who Experiences Feelings (Past Participles -ed):
- I was interested in the movie. (I felt interested.)
- She was bored during the lecture. (She felt bored.)
-
Express the State or Condition of People:
- He felt tired after working all day.
- They were frustrated by the delay.
-
Describe the Quality of Things or Situations:
- The exciting match kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
- The amazing view took my breath away.
📌 Structure
- Present Participle (-ing):
verb + -ing(describes the cause) - Past Participle (-ed):
verb + -ed(describes the feeling/state) - With “be” verb:
Subject + be + participle adjective - With “feel”:
Subject + feel + participle adjective
📝 Note
The key difference between present and past participles as adjectives:
- Present Participles (-ing): Describe the thing or situation that causes the feeling (active meaning)
- Past Participles (-ed): Describe the person or thing that experiences the feeling (passive meaning)
- Formation: Present participles add -ing to the verb, past participles add -ed to regular verbs
Examples: The film is exciting (film causes excitement), I am excited (I feel excitement).
💬 Examples
✅ Present Participles (-ing)
- The exciting match kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
- His boring presentation made me feel sleepy.
- The amazing view took my breath away.
- The surprising news shocked everyone.
✅ Past Participles (-ed)
- I felt bored after the long trip.
- She was interested in the new project.
- He felt tired after working all day.
- They were frustrated by the delay.
🔄 Comparison Examples
- The movie is interesting. / I am interested.
- The book is boring. / She was bored.
- The game is exciting. / We are excited.
🎯 Common Participle Adjectives
😊 Positive Feelings
- exciting/excited: The party was exciting. I was excited.
- amazing/amazed: The show was amazing. We were amazed.
- interesting/interested: The book is interesting. She’s interested.
- surprising/surprised: The news was surprising. He was surprised.
😞 Negative Feelings
- boring/bored: The movie was boring. I was bored.
- tiring/tired: The work is tiring. She’s tired.
- frustrating/frustrated: The problem is frustrating. We’re frustrated.
- confusing/confused: The instructions are confusing. He’s confused.
😨 Strong Emotions
- shocking/shocked: The accident was shocking. They were shocked.
- terrifying/terrified: The movie was terrifying. I was terrified.
- embarrassing/embarrassed: The situation was embarrassing. She was embarrassed.
- overwhelming/overwhelmed: The task is overwhelming. He’s overwhelmed.
🎯 Practice Exercises
⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.
Ready to Use Verbs to Describe Things Vividly in English?
Learning to use participles as adjectives (e.g., “a boring book,” “an interested student”) is a fantastic step to making your English descriptions more vivid, concise, and natural. It’s how you add rich detail!
Do you want to practice using present and past participles to modify nouns effectively? My online English classes offer fun, interactive ways to master participles as adjectives and all other essential grammar points. You’ll get plenty of chances to speak and build your confidence.
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