A2 · Elementary · Practice

-ed & -ing Adjectives: A2 Exercises

60 exercises · 20 multiple choice · 20 fill in the blank · 20 word ordering

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This is the topic where a small grammatical slip produces a social one. I am very boring is a perfectly formed English sentence that says the opposite of what almost everybody using it intends, and because it is grammatical nobody corrects it. Hundreds of adjectives come in these pairs — bored and boring, tired and tiring, interested and interesting — and the two halves are never interchangeable.

The rule is a single question: who has the feeling, and what caused it? Whoever has the feeling takes -ed; whatever causes it takes -ing. These sixty exercises drill that question until it answers itself, working through the fifteen commonest pairs in the contexts where they actually appear — describing a film, a job, a journey, a lesson and a person. The set also covers the prepositions that attach to the -ed forms, since interested in, worried about and shocked by are learned as phrases rather than derived from anything.

60 exercises in this set

3 question types

~25 minutes to finish

80% to pass

What these exercises drill

Every question in this set tests one of the rules below. If any of them is unfamiliar, read the -ed & -ing Adjectives lesson first — practice before the rule is understood mostly teaches you your own guesses.

-ed adjectives describe the feeling a person has.
-ing adjectives describe the thing or person that causes the feeling.
Things are almost always -ing; people can be either, depending on the meaning.
The pair works for most emotion verbs: tire, surprise, excite, confuse, annoy, relax, frighten.

Practise -ed & -ing Adjectives now

Answer at your own pace — nothing is timed and nothing is submitted. Each answer is marked the moment you give it, the explanation appears whether you were right or wrong, and the progress bar tracks all 60. Your score is saved in this browser, and to your account if you are signed in.

Multiple choice questions

Choose the correct answer.

The lecture was three hours long. I was completely ___.boring · bored · bore · boredom
Don't watch that film — it's really ___.bored · boring · bore · boredly
Are you ___ in classical music?interesting · interested · interest · interestingly
She told us an ___ story about her childhood.interested · interesting · interest · interestedly
The journey was long and ___.tired · tiring · tire · tiredly
After eight hours on the road we were all ___.tiring · tired · tire · tiredness
The instructions were so ___ that nobody could follow them.confused · confusing · confuse · confusingly
I'm ___ about the exam next week.worrying · worried · worry · worriedly
The children were very ___ about the trip.exciting · excited · excite · excitement
It was the most ___ match of the season.excited · exciting · excite · excitedly
Which sentence is correct?I was very surprising by the news. · I was very surprised by the news. · I was very surprise by the news. · I was very surprisingly the news.
That noise from upstairs is extremely ___.annoyed · annoying · annoy · annoyance
He looked ___ when he forgot her name.embarrassing · embarrassed · embarrass · embarrassment
The hotel was ___ — nothing like the photographs.disappointed · disappointing · disappoint · disappointedly
I find yoga very ___ after a long day.relaxed · relaxing · relax · relaxation
She felt completely ___ after the massage.relaxing · relaxed · relax · relaxingly
The film was ___ — I couldn't sleep afterwards.frightened · frightening · fright · frighteningly
Which sentence describes a person's effect on others?He is bored. · He is boring. · He is a bored man. · He was bored yesterday.
We were ___ with the service at that restaurant.satisfying · satisfied · satisfy · satisfaction
The results were ___ — much better than expected.astonished · astonishing · astonish · astonishment

Fill-in-the-blank questions

Type the missing word.

The lesson was so __________ that half the class fell asleep.
I was completely __________ during that presentation.
She has always been __________ in archaeology.
It's an __________ idea, but it would cost too much.
Moving house is one of the most __________ things you can do.
The children were too __________ to walk any further.
The timetable was so __________ that I missed my train.
Everyone looked __________ when the teacher changed the rules.
We were __________ about the wedding for months.
The last ten minutes of the game were incredibly __________.
I was __________ by how quickly he learned Georgian.
The price of the repair was __________ — nearly a thousand lira.
He was very __________ about failing the driving test.
That constant dripping tap is really __________.
She felt __________ when nobody remembered her name.
A hot bath is the most __________ thing after a cold day.
The thunderstorm was __________ for the younger children.
I'm __________ about my brother — he hasn't called for a week.
The documentary was __________ from start to finish.
Were you __________ with the exam results?

Sentence structure: word ordering

Put the words in the correct order.

Criticise a film that caused the feeling.The / film / was / boring / and / far / too / long.
Say how quickly you lost interest.I / was / bored / after / ten / minutes.
Describe somebody's field of interest.She / is / interested / in / modern / architecture.
Praise a discussion that held your attention.It / was / an / interesting / conversation.
Describe a trip that caused exhaustion.The / journey / home / was / very / tiring.
Describe how a group felt after an event.We / were / tired / but / very / happy.
Complain about unclear directions.The / instructions / were / completely / confusing.
Describe a puzzled audience.Everyone / looked / confused / at / the / end.
Describe anticipation before a holiday.The / children / are / excited / about / the / trip.
Praise the end of a match.That / was / an / exciting / final / minute.
Report an unexpected response.I / was / surprised / by / his / reaction.
Describe information that shocked a group.The / news / was / surprising / to / everyone.
Complain about a sound outside.This / traffic / noise / is / really / annoying.
Describe irritation at a late train.He / was / annoyed / with / the / delay.
Give a poor review of accommodation.The / hotel / was / very / disappointing.
Describe how somebody reacted to an error.She / felt / embarrassed / about / the / mistake.
Describe an activity that calms you.Swimming / in / the / sea / is / relaxing.
Describe weather that scared an animal.The / storm / was / frightening / for / the / dog.
Express anxiety before an announcement.I / am / worried / about / the / results.
Praise a programme that held you completely.The / documentary / was / absolutely / fascinating.

Show the answer key for all 60 exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. The lecture was three hours long. I was completely ___. → bored: The speaker has the feeling, so the -ed form is correct.
2. Don't watch that film — it's really ___. → boring: The film causes the feeling, so it takes -ing.
3. Are you ___ in classical music? → interested: The person has the interest, so the -ed form is used with in.
4. She told us an ___ story about her childhood. → interesting: The story causes the interest, so it takes -ing.
5. The journey was long and ___. → tiring: The journey causes the tiredness, so it takes -ing.
6. After eight hours on the road we were all ___. → tired: The people receive the feeling, so the -ed form is correct.
7. The instructions were so ___ that nobody could follow them. → confusing: The instructions cause the confusion.
8. I'm ___ about the exam next week. → worried: The speaker has the feeling, and worried takes about.
9. The children were very ___ about the trip. → excited: The children have the feeling, so the -ed form is used.
10. It was the most ___ match of the season. → exciting: The match causes the excitement.
11. Which sentence is correct? → I was very surprised by the news.: The person receives the feeling, and by names its cause.
12. That noise from upstairs is extremely ___. → annoying: The noise causes the annoyance.
13. He looked ___ when he forgot her name. → embarrassed: He has the feeling, so the -ed form is used.
14. The hotel was ___ — nothing like the photographs. → disappointing: The hotel causes the disappointment.
15. I find yoga very ___ after a long day. → relaxing: Yoga causes the relaxation, so it takes -ing.
16. She felt completely ___ after the massage. → relaxed: She receives the feeling, so the -ed form is correct.
17. The film was ___ — I couldn't sleep afterwards. → frightening: The film causes the fear.
18. Which sentence describes a person's effect on others? → He is boring.: The -ing form applied to a person says they cause the feeling in others.
19. We were ___ with the service at that restaurant. → satisfied: The customers have the feeling, so the -ed form is used.
20. The results were ___ — much better than expected. → astonishing: The results cause the astonishment.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. The lesson was so ___ that half the class fell asleep. → boring: The lesson causes the feeling, so it takes -ing.
2. I was completely ___ during that presentation. → bored: The speaker receives the feeling, so the -ed form is correct.
3. She has always been ___ in archaeology. → interested: A person who has the feeling takes -ed, with the preposition in.
4. It's an ___ idea, but it would cost too much. → interesting: The idea causes the interest.
5. Moving house is one of the most ___ things you can do. → tiring: The activity causes the tiredness.
6. The children were too ___ to walk any further. → tired: The children have the feeling.
7. The timetable was so ___ that I missed my train. → confusing: The timetable causes the confusion.
8. Everyone looked ___ when the teacher changed the rules. → confused: The people receive the feeling.
9. We were ___ about the wedding for months. → excited: The people have the feeling, and excited takes about.
10. The last ten minutes of the game were incredibly ___. → exciting: The game causes the excitement.
11. I was ___ by how quickly he learned Georgian. → surprised: The speaker receives the feeling, and by names the cause.
12. The price of the repair was ___ — nearly a thousand lira. → shocking: The price causes the shock.
13. He was very ___ about failing the driving test. → disappointed: He has the feeling, and disappointed takes about.
14. That constant dripping tap is really ___. → annoying: The tap causes the annoyance.
15. She felt ___ when nobody remembered her name. → embarrassed: She receives the feeling.
16. A hot bath is the most ___ thing after a cold day. → relaxing: The bath causes the relaxation.
17. The thunderstorm was ___ for the younger children. → frightening: The storm causes the fear.
18. I'm ___ about my brother — he hasn't called for a week. → worried: The speaker has the feeling, and worried takes about.
19. The documentary was ___ from start to finish. → fascinating: The documentary causes the fascination.
20. Were you ___ with the exam results? → satisfied: The person receives the feeling, and satisfied takes with.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Criticise a film that caused the feeling. → The film was boring and far too long.: Criticise a film that caused the feeling.
2. Say how quickly you lost interest. → I was bored after ten minutes.: Say how quickly you lost interest.
3. Describe somebody's field of interest. → She is interested in modern architecture.: Describe somebody's field of interest.
4. Praise a discussion that held your attention. → It was an interesting conversation.: Praise a discussion that held your attention.
5. Describe a trip that caused exhaustion. → The journey home was very tiring.: Describe a trip that caused exhaustion.
6. Describe how a group felt after an event. → We were tired but very happy.: Describe how a group felt after an event.
7. Complain about unclear directions. → The instructions were completely confusing.: Complain about unclear directions.
8. Describe a puzzled audience. → Everyone looked confused at the end.: Describe a puzzled audience.
9. Describe anticipation before a holiday. → The children are excited about the trip.: Describe anticipation before a holiday.
10. Praise the end of a match. → That was an exciting final minute.: Praise the end of a match.
11. Report an unexpected response. → I was surprised by his reaction.: Report an unexpected response.
12. Describe information that shocked a group. → The news was surprising to everyone.: Describe information that shocked a group.
13. Complain about a sound outside. → This traffic noise is really annoying.: Complain about a sound outside.
14. Describe irritation at a late train. → He was annoyed with the delay.: Describe irritation at a late train.
15. Give a poor review of accommodation. → The hotel was very disappointing.: Give a poor review of accommodation.
16. Describe how somebody reacted to an error. → She felt embarrassed about the mistake.: Describe how somebody reacted to an error.
17. Describe an activity that calms you. → Swimming in the sea is relaxing.: Describe an activity that calms you.
18. Describe weather that scared an animal. → The storm was frightening for the dog.: Describe weather that scared an animal.
19. Express anxiety before an announcement. → I am worried about the results.: Express anxiety before an announcement.
20. Praise a programme that held you completely. → The documentary was absolutely fascinating.: Praise a programme that held you completely.

The errors these questions are built to catch

I am very boring in this class.

I am very bored in this class.

Boring says you make other people bored — the opposite of what the speaker means.
The film was very excited.

The film was very exciting.

A film has no feelings; it causes them, so it takes the -ing form.
We were confusing by the timetable.

We were confused by the timetable.

The people receiving the feeling take -ed; the timetable that caused it would be confusing.

After this set

Adjective endings shape how you describe experience. The A2 syllabus now turns to the future, starting with plans and intentions expressed by going to.