ESL English Learner Fridays Workshop #1
Increasing your overall
vocabulary and word
choices
Part One--- “-ed” and “-ing” adjectives
Part Two--- Word Roots and Affixes
ashamed
overwhelming
flushed
thrilling
embarrassing
Let’s have a parti(ciple)!!!
amazing
Using –ing and –ed adjectives to
increase verbal repertoire
(participial adjectives)
frightened
flustered
scared
embarrassed
thrilled
interesting
draining
I AM SO
BORING!!!!!
Have you heard/said this before?
I AM SO BORED!!!!!
Here is what should be said.
THAT IS SO
BORING!!!!!
Or, this is correct, too.
And…here is
why…with two
examples
A present participle (-ing) should
describe a person or thing causing
a feeling.
The presenter is boring
[not bored].
A past participle (-ed) should
describe a person having a feeling
because of an experience.
The audience is bored
[not boring].
In the first example just now
(with the –ing form), the
presenter is causing boredom,
not experiencing it.
In the second example (with the
–ed form, the audience is
experiencing boredom, not
causing it.
Now, let’s view it differently-In simple present, we would say
“This confuses me,”
“You confuse me,”
“He confuses me,”
“She confuses me,”
or “They confuse me.”
The subject of each sentence (This, You, He,
She, They) causes me to have a feeling of
confusion.
So we can say:
This is confusing.
You are confusing.
He is confusing.
She is confusing.
They are confusing.
But: I am confused.
Therefore, remember that “-ed”
adjective describes how you feel
because of an experience…
It describes how you feel
because of something that
someone (or something did to
you).
I AM SO
CONFUSED!!!!!
Use the –ed adjective for the
person who has the feeling.
I AM SO
CONFUSED!!!!!
An action happened to you; as a
result of undergoing the
experience, you feel this way.
This confuses me,
so I am confused.
In other words, this is what you
mean.
This confuses me,
so I am feeling
confused by this.
Or, even deeper, you mean this.
so...
Why is it
“–ed”?
Answer:
You cannot have a result
without a cause first.
Therefore, the feeling
you or others have HAS
to look like past tense
even if it is an adjective.
so...
Can a stick or a rock
feel“worried?”
Answer:
Sticks and rocks
cannot feel worried
or any other “–ed”
adjective. Only living
creatures can feel.
When looking at the “-ing”
adjective….
Remember to use the “-ing”
adjective for someone or
something that causes a
feeling…
…We can then say
“You are (or This is, She is, He is,
etc.) confusing me, so you are
confusing.
In other words, because you are
actively confusing me as we
speak, what you are (to me or
others) is a confusing person.
THAT IS SO
CONFUSING!!!!!
The person or thing creates the
feeling.
This confuses me,
so it is confusing
to me.
In other words, this is what you
mean.
THIS IS
CONFUSING!!
The other part involves the word
“is”, which is a linking verb.
Participles used as adjectives can
follow linking verbs. In this case,
the adjectives describe the
subject of the sentence.
THE ESSAY IS CONFUSING!!
THE TUTOR IS CONFUSED!!
Some common linking verbs
before –ed or –ing adjectives are:
•
•
•
•
•
is, are, am (all forms of be)
feel (only with –ed adjectives)
appear
seem
become
Here is a good way to check:
If it’s a feeling that is received,
check it with “by + noun” at the
end…
I am confused by you.
Since you can say this, saying “I
am confused,” is correct.
If it’s a feeling that someone or
something causes, check it with
“to + noun” at the end…
This is confusing to him.
Since you can say this, saying
“This is confusing,” is correct.
As a result, if you tell someone,
“I am so confusing!”, you
actually mean that YOU confuse
people!!!
If that is true, THEY would be
confused by YOU.
(Chances are that this is not
what you mean at all)
Participles used as adjectives can
also precede the nouns they
describe.
IT IS A DEPRESSING MOVIE.
JIM IS A DEPRESSED YOUNG MAN.
Am I confusing to any of you,
yet?
Are you at all confused by me?
Questions for this part?
In groups, or individually,
please try to make 3-5 good
sentences using -ing
adjectives from the word list.
You will have the option of
sharing some of your best, if
there is time.
Alarming
Aggravating
Amusing
Annoying
Astonishing
Astounding
Boring
Captivating
Challenging
Charming
Comforting
Confusing
Convincing
Depressing
Disappointing
Discouraging
Disgusting
Distressing
Disturbing
Embarrassing
Encouraging
Entertaining
Exciting
Frightening
Frustrating
Fulfilling
Gratifying
Inspiring
Insulting
Interesting
Moving
Overwhelming
Perplexing
Pleasing
Relaxing
Relieving
Satisfying
Shocking
Sickening
Soothing
Surprising
Tempting
Terrifying
Threatening
Thrilling
Tiring
Touching
Troubling
Unsettling
Worrying
In groups, or individually,
please try to make 3-5 good
sentences using -ed
adjectives from the word list.
You will have the option of
sharing some of your best, if
there is time.
Alarmed
Aggravated
Amused
Annoyed
Astonished
Astounded
Bored
Captivated
Challenged
Charmed
Comforted
Confused
Convinced
Depressed
Disappointed
Discouraged
Disgusted
Distressed
Disturbed
Embarrassed
Encouraged
Entertained
Excited
Frightened
Frustrated
Fulfilled
Gratified
Inspired
Insulted
Interested
Moved
Overwhelmed
Perplexed
Pleased
Relaxed
Relieved
Satisfied
Shocked
Sickened
Soothed
Surprised
Tempted
Terrified
Threatened
Thrilled
Tired
Touched
Troubled
Unsettled
Worried
Now, let’s practice with a fun and
interactive lesson:
http://www.grammar.cl/Games/Adjectives_ED_ING.htm
Part Two
How to use word roots
and affixes to increase
your vocabulary
1. incredible
(adj.)
in= not
cred=believe
ible= able
Something not
able to believe
2. perspiration
(n.)
per= through
spir= breathe
tion=action
Action of
breathing through
(the skin)
3. soph(o)moric
(adj.)
soph= wise
mor=foolish
ic= like
Like a wise, but
foolish, person
4. inspir(a)tion (n.)
in=in
spir= breathe
tion=quality of
The quality of
breathing in
5. retracting (v.)
re= back
tract= draw
ing= action of
The action of
drawing back
6. path(o)gen (n.)
path=disease
gen= start
Something that starts
a disease
7. pre(de)cessor (n.)
pre= before
(de)cess= go (away)
or= person
*predecessor also uses a form of decess (decease) which has
a deeper meaning.
Person who has gone
before another one.
8. luminous (adj.)
lum= light
in= inside
ous=full (of)
A place with a lot of
light in it
9. Perspiration is
typically caused by
exercise.
10. The predecessor of the
current CEO was very
popular.
11. Uncovered
coughing is a usual
pathogen of a
common cold
epidemic.
Fun Activity with Words