Participial Adjectives
There are many adjectives ending in –ing and –ed, for example: boring and bored.
Study this example situation:
Jane has been doing the same job for a long time. Every day she does exactly the same
thing again and again. She doesn’t enjoy her job any more and would like to do
something different.
Jane’s job is boring.
Jane is bored (with her job).
Somebody is bored if something (or somebody else) is boring. Or, if something is
boring, it makes you bored. So:
 Jane is bored because her job is boring.
 Jane’s job is boring, so Jane is bored. (not Jane is boring)
If a person is boring, this means that they make other people bored:
 George always taks about the same things. He’s really boring.
Compare adjectives ending in –ing and –ed:
My job is boring.
I’m bored with my job.
My job is interesting.
I’m not interested in my job any more.
My job is tiring.
I get very tired doing my job.
My job is satisfying.
I’m not satisfied with my job.
My job is depressing. etc.
My job makes me depressed. etc.
In these examples, the –ing adjective
In these examples, the –ed adjective tells
tells you about the job.
you how somebody feels (about the job).
Compare these examples:
interesting
Julia thinks politics is interesting.
Did you meet anyone interesting at
the party?
interested
Julia is interested in politics.(not interesting
in politics).
Are you interested in buying a car?
I’m trying to sell mine.
surprising
surprised
It was surprising that he passed the exam. Everybody was surprised that he passed the
exam.
disappointing
The film was disappointing.
We expected it to be much better.
disappointed
We were disappointed with the film.
We expected it to be much better.
shocking
The news was shocking.
shocked
I was shocked when I heard the news.
Quiz
Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or past simple, active or passive.
1. It’s a big factory. Five hundred people _______ (employ) there.
2. _______________(somebody, clean) this room yesterday?
3. Water ___________(cover) most of the earth’s surface.
4. How much of the earth’s surface _______________(cover) by water?
5. The park gates ____________ (lock) at 6.30 p.m. every evening.
6. The letter __________ (post) a week ago and it __________ (arrive) yesterday.
7. The boat hit a rock and __________ (sink) quickly. Fortunately everybody
____________ (rescue).
8. Richard’s parents ____________(die) when he was very young. He and his sister
__________ (bring up) by their grandparents.
9. I was born in London, but I ____________ (grow up) in Canada.
10. While I was on holiday, my camera _____________ (steal) from my hotel room.
Rewrite these sentences in the passive voice.
1. Somebody cleans the room everyday.
………………………………
2. They cancelled all flights because of fog. All …………………………………
3. People don’t use this road much.
……………………………………
4. Somebody accused me of stealing money. I ………………………………..
5. How do people learn languages?
How …………………………….
The following sentences are taken from the article “Shoot and Show!” (Cool ‘n Smart
Magazine, Vol. 4 No. 27 Oct-Now 2004). Change the active voice in the sentences into
passive voice, and vice versa.
Example: C’nS held a photography workshop on September 4 and 11, 2004.
Answer : A photography workshop was held by C’nS on September 4 and 11, 2004.
1. A variety of objects from parrots to an old lady were shot and then put on display
by the workshop participants.
2. Before getting on with the main presentation, Sukarya teased us with some of his
awesome photographs.
3. The eye-popping and finger-biting showcase led us to the essential things we need
to know when taking pictures.
4. Great pictures are not produced by professional photographers using state-of-theart cameras.
5. The instructor gave participants an assignment to shoot photos on films provided
by Fuji.
6. Compositions in photography were explained by Sukarya on the second day of the
workshop.
7. At the last session of the workshop, the instructor analyzed and commented the
participants “homework.”
8. The winners received Esprit watches and vouchers, tickets from Seaworld, etc. at
the end of the workshop.
9. The next photography workshop will hopefully be held by C’nS magazine in
2005.
10. You can improve your techniques in taking pictures if you keep on practicing.