Adjectives ending in -ED –ING

Adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe things and situations. They have an active meaning They
describe someone that is doing something (acting) or something that is causing something to us making us
feel in a certain way.
Gli aggettivi in –ing servono a descrivere cose, persone e situazioni. Hanno un significato attivo e
descrivono qualcuno che sta facendo qualcosa o qualcosa che sta causando qualcosa e ci fa sentire in un
certo modo.
Adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe how people feel. They have a passive meaning. They
describe someone 'receiving' some kind of action, made to feel in a certain.
Gli aggettivi in –ed servono a descrivere come si sente la gente. Hanno un significato passivo e descrivono
qualcuno che riceve una certa azione che fa sentire in un certo modo.

Albert is working in a supermarket. Everyday he does exactly the same thing again and again. He doesn't
enjoy his job any more and would like to do something different.
Albert's job is boring.
Albert is bored.

The -ing adjective tells you about something (the job) . The -ed adjective tells you how somebody feels
about something (The man is bored because the job is boring).

My girlfriend is bored. - (My girlfriend feels bored)

My girlfriend is boring. - (My girlfriend is a boring person)
I am confused. - (I don't understand something)
I am confusing. - (I will cause you to be confused)
I'm interested in 1960 music. (This is my personal feeling)
I was really tired yesterday.
1960 music is interesting. 1960 music makes me feel interested.).
The news was shocking. (The news gives us a shocking feeling)
My job is interesting. I'm interrested in my job.
My job is tiring. I'm always tired when I finish work.
My job is satisfying. I'm satisfied with my job.
The lecture was boring. I felt very bored.

To make it clearer, let's have a look at the following examples:

Per chiarire meglio, guardate gli esempi seguenti:
a talking woman
a singing bird
a winning team
a smiling girl

They all 'do' something: the man is talking, the bird is singing, the team is winning, the girl is smiling. The
–ing adjectives have an active meaning: talking, singing, winning and smiling are used to describe an
action.
Tutti fanno qualcosa: l’uomo parla, l’uccello canta, la squadra vince, la ragazza sorride. L’aggettivo ha un
significato attivo: talking, singing, winning e smiling sono usati per descrivere un’azione.

The lesson is annoying.

I find geography an interesting subject.
It was an exciting football match.
1
We're having a relaxing day off.

Now look at these examples with adjectives ending in -ed:

Adesso osserva gli esempi seguenti:
a smashed window.
a satisfied customer.
a frightened child
a surprised teacher

These adjectives are used with a passive meaning. Something has been done to the object (the window) or
something/someone has caused people to be in a certain state (the child, the customer, the teacher) or feel in
a certain way.
The adjectives smashed, satisfied, frightened, surprised describe states or feelings as a result of
something done: the window has been smashed, the customer has been satisfied, the child has been
frightened, the teacher has been surprised.
Questi aggettivi sono usati con un significato passivo. Qualcosa è stato fatto all’oggetto (la finestra) o
qualcosa/qualcuno ha fatto che le persone siano in un certo stato (il bambino, il cliente, l’insegnante) o che
provino un certo sentimento.
Gli aggettivi smashed, satisfied, frightened, surprised descrivono stati o sentimenti come risultato di
qualcosa subito: la finestra è stata frantumata, il cliente è stato soddisfatto, il bambino è stato spaventato,
l’insegnante è stato sorpreso.
She is annoyed.
I am interested in geography.
Everyone was excited during the football match.
We all feel relaxed after a day off.
She looks alarmed about something.
A bored student complained to his teacher.
She had big blue frightened eyes.
The bird had a broken wing.

List of adjectives
Positive
Verb meaning -ed -ing adjective noun
adjective
amaze sbalordire amazed amazing amazement
amuse divertire amused amusing amusement
astound Sbalordire/ stupire astounded astounding
astonish Stupire/ sorprendere astonished astonishing astonishment
bewitch Stregare, ammaliare bewitched bewitching (seducente) bewitchment
captivate Attrarre, affascinare captivated captivating captivation
challenge sfidare, mettere alla prova challenged challenging (stimolante) challenge
charm Incantare, affascinare charmed charming charm
comfort Consolare, confortare comforted comforting comfort
concern Preoccupare, concernere concerned concerning concern
convince convincere convinced convincing conviction
encourage incoraggiare encouraged encouraging encouragement
enchant incantare enchanted enchanting enchantment
energize Stimolare, ravvivare energized energizing energy
entertain Divertire, intrattenere entertained entertaining entertainment
2
 enthrall Affascinare, ammaliare enthralled enthralling enthrallment
excite Eccitare, stimolare excited exciting excitement
fascinate affascinare fascinated fascinating fascination
flatter Adulare, lusingare flattered flattering flattery
fulfill Realizzare, appagare fulfilled fulfilling fulfillment
gratify accontentare, compiacere gratified gratifying gratification
interest interessare interested interesting interest
intrigue intrigare intrigued intriguing intrigue
move Muovere,trasferire moved Moving (toccante) movement
please piacere pleased pleasing (pleasant) a pleasure
relax rilassare relaxed relaxing relaxation
relieve allievare relieved relieving relief
satisfy soddisfare satisfied satisfying satisfaction
soothe Calmare, lenire soothed soothing
surprise sorprendere surprised surprising surprise
tempt tentare tempted tempting temptation
thrill Entusiasmare, fremere thrilled thrilling thrill
titilate titllare titilated titilating titilation
touch Toccare, commuovere touched touching touch
welcome Dare il benvenuto welcomed welcoming welcome

Negative
Verb meaning -ed -ing adjective noun
adjective
aggravate Aggravare, peggiorare aggravated aggravating aggravation
alarm allarmare alarmed alarming alarm
annoy Irritare, infastidire annoyed annoying annoyance
bewilder Confondere, sconcertare bewildered bewildering bewilderment
bore annoiare bored boring boredom
confound Confondere, sconcertare confounded confounding
confuse Confondere, disorientare confused confusing confusion
depress deprimere depressed depressing depression
devastate devastare devastated devastating devastation
disappoint deludere disappointed disappointing disappointment
discourage scoraggiare discouraged discouraging discouragement
disgust disgustare disgusted disgusting disgust
dishearten demoralizzare disheartened disheartening disheartenment
dismay Costernare, sgomentare dismayed dismaying dismay
displease scontentare displeased displeasing displeasure
distress angosciare distressed distressing distress
disturb disturbare disturbed disturbing disturbance
embarrass Mettere in imbarazzo embarrassed embarrassing embarrassment
exasperate esasperare exasperated exasperating exasperation
exhaust Esaurire, stancare exhausted exhausting exhaustion
fatigue affaticare fatigued fatiguing fatigue
frighten spaventare frightened frightening fright
frustrate frustrare frustrated frustrating frustration
horrify atterrire horrified horrifying horror
humiliate umiliare humiliated humiliating humiliation
3
 insult Insultare, offendere insulted insulting an insult
irritate irritare irritated irritating irritation
mortify Mortificare, umiliare mortified mortifying mortification
mystify Confondere le idee mystified mystifying mystification
overwhelm Sommergere, schiacciare overwhelmed overwhelming overwhelmingness
perplex Rendere perplesso perplexed perplexing perplexity
perturb perturbare perturbed perturbing perturbation
puzzle sconcertare puzzled puzzling puzzlement
shock sconvolgere shocked shocking a shock
sicken Nauseare, disgustare sickened sickening sickness
terrify Terrorizzare, spaventare terrified terrifying terror
tempt tentare tempted Tempting (allettante) temptation
threaten minacciare threatened threatening a threat
tire stancare tired tiring tiredness
trouble Disturbare, importunare troubled troubling trouble
unnerve innervosire unnerved unnerving
unsettle Turbare, scombussolare unsettled unsettling unsettledness
upset Turbare, sconvolgere upset upsetting
vex Irritare, contrariare vexed (vext) vexing vexation
worry Preoccupare, turbare worried worrying worry

*Interactive Exercises
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/adjing.htm exercise
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/dg-eding.html
http://englishinfocus1.googlepages.com/Adjective_Endings.htm
http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/multi/eding.htm
http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/boreding.htm
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passive3a.html
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/dg-eding.html
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/naturalenglish/pre/a_grammar/unit10/nepre_grammar10_1/
http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/boreding.htm
http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/prtcplsnj.html
http://lingue.altervista.org/games/quizes/adjectives.htm

*Please note the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=15khdJh1gq0&feature=PlayList&p=CBA9443DDD2FF3E4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&
index=9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7MXKttBQw&feature=player_embedded