Suffix · forms adjectives
Uses the gerund as an adjective to describe what causes a feeling: boring, exciting, interesting.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
In English, the -ing form of a verb is used as an adjective to describe something that CAUSES a feeling or produces an effect. From "bore" comes "boring" (causes boredom); from "excite" comes "exciting" (causes excitement); from "interest" comes "interesting" (causes interest). It is the perfect complement to the -ed adjective: -ed describes how the PERSON FEELS; -ing describes what CAUSES that feeling.
The most common mistake for Spanish speakers: "The movie is boring" = the movie causes boredom (describes the THING). "I am bored" = I feel boredom (describes the PERSON). "The news is exciting" = the news causes excitement. "I am excited" = I feel excited. Ask yourself: am I describing how a PERSON FEELS (-ed) or what CAUSES that feeling in a thing (-ing)?
Beyond feeling adjectives, -ing describes the function or ongoing state of things: a running shoe = a shoe for running a sleeping bag = a bag for sleeping a working model = a model that functions a living room = a room for living in In these compounds the -ing word describes the purpose or state of the following noun.
Verb infinitive + ing = gerund = adjective describing what causes the feeling.
When a verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant and the last syllable is stressed, double the final consonant: begin = beginning, run = running. But for the feeling adjectives (boring, exciting, interesting), most end in silent -e which is simply dropped.
-ing (adjective)/ɪŋ/ · sounds like 'ing'
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"I am boring" = I am a boring person (I cause boredom in others). "I am bored" = I feel boredom. The -ing describes what CAUSES the feeling, not the person who feels it.
Things cannot "feel" bored. The class CAUSES boredom: "boring". People FEEL boredom: "bored".
The adjective form needs the full -ing: amazing, not "amaze".
A trick to remember it
Golden rule: THINGS = -ing (the film is boring, the news is exciting). PEOPLE = -ed (I am bored, she is excited). If it is YOU feeling something, use -ed. If you describe something that causes that feeling, use -ing.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Which is correct?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"surprising" means...
The suffix -ing (adjective) uses the gerund as an adjective to describe what causes a feeling: boring, exciting, interesting. In Spanish it usually maps to -ante / -ente / -ador.
The ending -ing (adjective) is pronounced /ɪŋ/ · sounds like 'ing'. For example, "boring".
"bore" becomes "boring". It is a typical example of the -ing (adjective) suffix.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.