098 : Adjectives ending in -ing and -ed (boring/bored etc.)

   A   

Many adjectives end in -ing and -ed, for example: boring and bored. Study this example situation:

 

Jane has been doing the same job for a very 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 talks about the same things. He's really boring.

 

 

   B   

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 tells you about the job.	In these examples, the -ed adjective tells 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 lt was surprising that he passed the exam.	surprised Everybody was surprised that he passed the exam.
disappointing The movie was disappointing. We expected it to be much better.	disappointed We were disappointed with the movie. We expected it to be much better.
shocking The news was shocking.	shocked I was shocked when I heard the news.

 

 

 

 

※ depress : 

 

 

•  depress somebody 

// Wet weather always depresses me.

// The prospect of staying single depressed her.

// What depresses me most is that I never see you.

•  it depresses somebody to do something 

// It depresses me to see so many young girls smoking.

• depress something

// The recession has depressed the housing market.

// to depress wages/prices