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Adjectives expressing feelings:

~ing (present participle) vs ~ed (past participle) 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 dont 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 dont 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 Im boring/bored and never calls me again. * in a blind date, the two people dating have never met each other. So blind (= cant see) + date = a date in which you havent seen the other person. Often a friend introduces the two people who go on the blind date.

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A: Did you hear about that episode that happened to George Michael? B: Whats that? A: He used the public bathroom, but the toilet was broken so he couldnt flush. He just walked out of there and the person who used the toilet after him shouted, Look, thats George Michael, and he didnt 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 thats ever happened to you? What do you usually do when youre 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? Here find =feel is Commonly confused participles amazing/amazed amusing/amused annoying/annoyed boring/bored challenging/challenged confusing/confused depressing/depressed disappointing/disappointed encouraging/encouraged

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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 For a more comprehensive list http://www.trussel.com/eding.htm and some more practice, go to

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