Participial Adjectives (-ed vs -ing)
Participial adjectives are formed from verbs. TOEIC frequently tests the distinction between adjectives ending in -ed (describing feelings) and -ing (describing the cause of the feeling).
Rules
- Use -ed adjectives to describe how someone feels (e.g., I am interested).
- Use -ing adjectives to describe the thing or person that causes the feeling (e.g., The book is interesting).
- Use -ing for active meaning and -ed for passive meaning when modifying nouns.
Examples
"The board members were disappointed with the quarterly results."
The -ed form 'disappointed' describes the feelings of the board members.
"The CEO gave an inspiring speech at the annual conference."
The -ing form 'inspiring' describes the speech, which caused the feeling.
"Please review the attached document before the meeting."
The -ed form 'attached' describes the document in a passive sense (it was attached).
What TOEIC specifically tests
- Using an -ed adjective to describe a non-living thing (e.g., 'the bored meeting').
- Using an -ing adjective to describe a person's feeling (e.g., 'I am boring').
- Confusing verbs and adjectives (e.g., 'interest' vs 'interested').
Common questions
Can an -ing adjective describe a person?
Yes, if the person is the cause of the feeling. For example, 'He is a boring speaker' means he causes others to feel bored.
How are participial adjectives tested?
TOEIC will provide both the -ed and -ing forms of a word in the choices. You must determine if the noun being modified is the experiencer (-ed) or the cause (-ing).
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