Adjectives with Nouns and Verbs;
-ed and -ing Forms
He seems interested. It's an interesting idea. — learn adjective position and the -ed/-ing contrast, then practise.
Show rules
Where adjectives go
- Before a noun: an interesting idea, a long flight
- After a linking verb (be, seem, look, feel, become, get): The idea is interesting. She seems tired.
-ed or -ing?
Many feeling adjectives have two forms:
- -ing describes the cause — what produces the feeling: a boring film, the news was surprising
- -ed describes how someone feels — the experiencer: I was bored, she felt surprised
| cause (-ing) | feeling (-ed) |
|---|---|
| The film is boring. | I am bored. |
| The trip was exhausting. | We were exhausted. |
| It's an interesting book. | She's interested in it. |
Watch out: I'm boring means "I make others bored". To say how you feel, use I'm bored.
Adjective or adverb after a verb?
After linking verbs — be, seem, look, feel, become, taste, smell, sound — use an adjective: ✅ The soup tastes delicious. ❌ tastes deliciously.
After an action verb, use an adverb: ✅ She sang beautifully. He looked at me angrily.
a- adjectives
alive, asleep, awake, afraid, alone, ashamed are used after a verb, not before a noun: ✅ The baby is asleep. ❌ the asleep baby → ✅ the sleeping baby.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| The lesson is bored. | The lesson is boring. |
| I'm very interesting in art. | I'm very interested in art. |
| It smells wonderfully. | It smells wonderful. |
| She is an asleep child. | She is a sleeping child. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between -ed and -ing adjectives?
The -ing form describes the cause — the thing, person or situation that produces a feeling: 'a boring film', 'the news was surprising'. The -ed form describes how someone feels — the experiencer: 'I was bored', 'she felt surprised'. So a film is boring, but you are bored.
Is it correct to say 'I am boring'?
Only if you mean you bore other people. To say how you feel, use the -ed form: 'I am bored'. 'I am boring' means people find you dull. The same applies to 'interesting/interested', 'tiring/tired' and other feeling adjectives.
Do you use an adjective or an adverb after verbs like taste, look and feel?
After linking verbs — be, seem, look, feel, become, taste, smell, sound — use an adjective: 'The soup tastes delicious', 'You look tired'. After an action verb, use an adverb: 'She sang beautifully', 'He looked at me angrily'.
Why is 'the asleep baby' wrong?
Adjectives beginning with a- — alive, asleep, awake, afraid, alone, ashamed — are only used after a verb, not before a noun. Say 'the baby is asleep' or, before the noun, 'the sleeping baby'.