Many adjectives (words that describe a person or a thing) have two forms: one ending in -ed and one ending in -ing. They come from the same verb, but they do not describe the same thing.
1. -ed → how a person feels
Use the -ed form to describe a feeling. It is usually about a person.
- I'm bored. (I feel bored.)
- She was surprised by the news.
- We are interested in your offer.
2. -ing → what causes the feeling
Use the -ing form to describe the thing, the situation or the person that creates the feeling.
- The meeting is boring. (It makes me feel bored.)
- The news was surprising.
- Your offer is interesting.
3. The same person can be both
- He is bored. → He feels bored.
- He is boring. → Other people feel bored with him.
This is why "I'm boring" is a strange thing to say about yourself. It means that other people find you dull.
4. Common pairs
- bored / boring
- interested / interesting
- tired / tiring
- excited / exciting
- confused / confusing
- surprised / surprising
- embarrassed / embarrassing
- disappointed / disappointing
- worried / worrying
- annoyed / annoying
- relaxed / relaxing
5. Common mistakes
- ❌ I'm very interesting in this job.
- ✅ I'm very interested in this job.
- ❌ The film was so bored that I fell asleep.
- ✅ The film was so boring that I fell asleep.
- ❌ I was embarrassing when I forgot her name.
- ✅ I was embarrassed when I forgot her name.
