-ing or -ed

"-ing" or "-ed" ending

by Alessandro Ursic, PC MUIC

​Read the following sentences carefully:

1. ​My low grades concern my parents.

2. ​My low grades are concerning (for my parents).

3. ​My parents are concerned about my low grades.

1. ​This topic confuses me.

2. ​This topic is confusing (for me).

3. ​I am confused by this topic.

Are you confusinged? You shouldn't be!

​Think about these verbs:

• to confuse

• to excite

• to bore

• to surprise

• to concern

• ​to interest

• to tire

• to stress​

​They can end with "-ing" and "-ed":

• ​confusing, confused

• exciting, excited

• boring, bored

• surprising, surp​rised

• concerning, concerned

• interesting, interest

• tiring, tired​

• stressful, stressed​

​

How do you know what form you need?

• When you use this verbs, there will always be someone/something doing the action, and someone/something receiving the action.

  ​

• If you want to transform that verb into​ an adjective, ask yourself: "does this adjective describe the person/thing doing the action, or the person/thing receiving the action?"

  ​

• If it describes the person​/thing doing the action, use "-ing".

• If it describes the person​/thing receiving he action, use "-ed".

​Let's go back to our original examples:

1. ​My low grades concern my parents.

   ​

2. ​My low grades are concerning (for my parents).

   (the grades do the action expressed by the verb "to concern")

   ​

3. ​My parents are concerned about my low grades.

   (my parents receive the action expressed by the verb "to concern")

​Let's go back to our original examples:

1. This topic confuses me.

   ​

2. ​This topic is confusing (for me).

   (the topic does the action expressed by the verb "to confuse")

   ​

3. ​​I am confused by this topic.

   (I receive the action expressed by the verb "to confuse")

Multiple Choice

The frequency of mass shootings in the US is quite __________ .

• concerned

• concern

• concerning

• concerns

Multiple Choice

He's not ___________ in romantic comedies. He prefers horror movies.

• interest

• interesting

• interests

• interested

Multiple Choice

Studying at PC for 24 hours a week is extremely _________ for many students.

• tire

• tiring

• tired

• tires

Multiple Choice

The high number of fatal car accidents on Thai roads ____________ Thailand's government.

• concerns

• concern

• concerning

• is concerned

Multiple Choice

My father is __________ about my grades, so he asked me to study more.

• concern

• concerning

• concerned

• concerns

Multiple Choice

The ending of that movie was quite _________ . I didn't expect that.

• surprise

• surprises

• surprised

• surprising

Multiple Choice

I am _________ by what the teacher said.

• confusing

• confused

• confuse

• confuses

Multiple Choice

History books ________ me quite a lot.

• is interested

• interests

• interesting

• interest

Multiple Choice

This whole experience has been very ________ .

• stressed

• stress

• stressful

• stresses

Multiple Choice

I am very ____________ about my trip to Italy next month.

• excited

• exciting

• excite

• excites