Adjectives to Express Feelings

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Many learners of English confuse the ~ing (present participle) with ~ed (past participle) when they are used as adjectives expressing emotions.

Compare:
"I am boring." with "I am bored."

The present participle (~ing) is used to show who or what causes the feeling. So in the first example, I am boring, I make other people feel bored. Maybe I don’t talk very much or do not have many interesting things to talk about. No matter what the reason, when people are around me they soon start to yawn.

The past participle (~ed) is used to show who or what ‘has’ or experiences the feeling. So in the second example, I am bored, I am not interested in whatever is happening around me. Maybe I am in a boring lecture (the professor causes me to be bored) or I don’t have a good book to read at home and there is nothing interesting on television.

This is a very common mistake for learners that results in the learner saying the opposite of what s/he wants to say. MEMORIZE the difference in the ~ing and ~ed patterns and be VERY CAREFUL in how you use these patterns! !

Choose the correct answers in the dialogues below.
A: I heard you had a blind date* last Saturday. How did it go?
B: It was so boring/bored because all he talked about was his work.
A: What did you talk about?
B: Nothing much. I hope he thinks I’m boring/bored and never calls me again.

* in a blind date, the two people dating have never met each other. So ‘blind’ (= can’t see) + date = a date in which you haven’t seen the other person. Often a friend introduces the two people who go on the blind date.

A: Did you hear about that episode that happened to George Michael?
B: What’s that?
A: He used the public bathroom, but the toilet was broken so he couldn’t flush. He just walked out of there and the person who used the toilet after him shouted, “Look, that’s George Michael, and he didn’t flush!”
A: Wow! He must have been embarrassed.

Ask your keypal/partner these questions
When was the last time you were embarrassed?
What is the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
What do you usually do when you’re bored?
What is something that you find* very boring?
Who is the most boring person you know?
What is something that you think is annoying?
When was the last time you were annoyed?
What subject do you find confusing?
Have you ever confused someone else?
Has anyone ever disappointed you?
What do you find* disappointing?
When do you feel exhausted?
What is exhausting?
When was the last time you were worried?
Do you know anyone who spends all their time worrying?

‘find’ =feel is

Commonly confused participles
amazing/amazed
amusing/amused
annoying/annoyed
boring/bored
challenging/challenged
confusing/confused
depressing/depressed
disappointing/disappointed
encouraging/encouraged
embarrassing/embarrassed
exciting/excited
exhausting/exhausted
fascinating/fascinated
frightening/frightened
frustrating/frustrated
insulting/insulted
interesting/interested
moving/moved
pleasing/pleased
relaxing/relaxed
satisfying/satisfied
shocking/shocked
surprising/surprised
thrilling/thrilled
tiring/tired
worrying/worried