-ed and -ing Adjectives: Interested or Interesting?

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A235–45 minutes on your own60 minutes with a tutor

-ed and -ing Adjectives: Interested or Interesting?

By the end: I can describe a feeling and what causes it.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Start here

Think of a film or lesson that held your attention.

Read each explanation, say your answer aloud, then open the model and try again. You may write your answer if you prefer. Use invented personal details whenever you like.

Useful preparation: Be and simple present statements; basic adjectives; because for reasons.

Choose a play button when you are ready.

Learn 1

Describe the feeling

Use adjectives such as bored, interested, excited and tired to describe how someone feels. I’m bored describes my feeling. These are adjectives here, not past-tense verbs.

I’m interested in the story.

She’s excited about the trip.

Keep the adjective with its useful preposition

Interest in a subjectI’m interested in the story.

In introduces the subject that interests the speaker.

Excitement about an eventI was excited about the ending.

About introduces what the speaker felt excited about.

Learn these as phrases: interested in and excited about. The adjective describes the person’s feeling in both examples.
Learn 2
Lesson scene for I'm interested in the story. People and essential props on white.
I’m interested in the story.Interested describes the person’s feeling.

Describe the cause

Use interesting, exciting, boring or tiring to describe what creates the feeling. An interesting story makes you interested. A tiring day makes you tired. Learn the whole pair, not only the ending.

The story is interesting.

It was a tiring day.

Learn 3

People can be the cause too

A person can be interesting or boring if they cause that feeling in someone else. I’m bored means I feel bored. I’m boring means I make other people feel bored. Choose the meaning, not simply person versus thing.

The speaker is interesting.

I’m bored because the talk is boring.

The same person, two different meanings

My own feelingI’m bored.

I am experiencing boredom.

My effect on other peopleI’m boring.

I cause other people to feel bored.

A person can be the one feeling something or the one causing the feeling. Choose the meaning, not a rule that all people take -ed.

Guided practice

Try each answer first. Check it, or open a model and its explanation.

Try the form

Compare an answer and explanation

interested

Interested describes your feeling.

Compare an answer and explanation

exciting

The game causes excitement.

Compare an answer and explanation

tired

Tired describes how you feel.

Compare an answer and explanation

boring

The talk causes boredom.

Build or change a sentence

Compare an answer and explanation

interested

Use interested for your feeling.

Compare an answer and explanation

excited

Use excited for the travellers’ feeling.

Compare an answer and explanation

I am bored. / I’m bored.

Bored gives your feeling; boring changes the meaning.

Compare an answer and explanation

The lesson is interesting.

Interesting describes the cause.

Listen to a short conversation

Listen. Then open the words and read aloud. Try one part with a partner, or say both parts on your own.

Open the conversation transcript

A: Was the film interesting?

B: Yes. I was interested in the story.

A: You look tired now.

B: Yes. It was a long, tiring day.

Listening checks

Read the question, play its recording, then choose an answer. You can open the transcript whenever you need it.

Listening 1

1. How did the speaker feel?
Read the transcript

The film was exciting. I was excited about the ending.

Listening 2

2. What was tiring?
Read the transcript

I’m tired because it was a tiring day.

Listening 3

3. What does interesting describe?
Read the transcript

Our teacher is interesting. I’m always interested in her stories.

Lesson scene for The story is interesting. People and essential props on white.
The story is interesting.Interesting describes the story that causes the feeling.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. Aim for 7 out of 8, then correct anything you missed.

1. The story has my attention. I’m ___ in it.
2. The game makes people feel excited. It is ___.
3. After the long day, I feel ___.
4. The talk makes listeners feel bored. It is ___.
5. People enjoy listening to this speaker. The speaker is ___.
6. Choose the sentence that means I feel bored.
7. It was a tiring trip, so we were ___.
8. Choose the accurate meaning rule.
Answer key with explanations

  1. interested Interested describes the feeling.

  2. exciting Exciting describes the cause.

  3. tired Tired describes your feeling.

  4. boring Boring describes the cause.

  5. interesting A person can cause interest.

  6. I’m bored. Bored names your feeling.

  7. tired A tiring trip can make people tired.

  8. -ed often describes the feeling; -ing often describes its cause. Meaning determines the choice in these pairs.

This quiz checks this lesson, not your overall English level.

Make it yours

Speak first, compare a model, then say a new version. These tasks are ungraded.

Speaking task 1

Describe a film, book or game and your feeling about it. You may invent one.

Compare a possible response

The film is interesting. I’m interested in the story. The ending is exciting.

Success check: Separate the cause from your feeling.

This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.

Speaking task 2

Describe an invented busy day with tired and tiring.

Compare a possible response

It was a tiring day. I worked and studied. I was tired in the evening.

Success check: Use tiring for the day and tired for yourself.

This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.

Speaking task 3

Explain the difference between I’m bored and I’m boring using a simple example.

Compare a possible response

I’m bored means I feel bored. I’m boring means other people feel bored when they listen to me.

Success check: Explain the meaning, not a people-versus-things rule.

This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.

Recap

Listen and repeat. I’m interested in the story. The story is interesting. The speaker is interesting.

I can describe a feeling and what causes it.

  • I can use the main pattern.
  • I can make one sentence of my own.
  • I know one thing to practise again.

Keep building your grammar

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