Grammar: -ed, -ing Adjectives

A simpler and lighter article today after a difficult one, still on grammar though.

The ed/ing Adjectives are most often misused in English. They are very similar, but they are not that difficult to be correctly used.

The easy rules generally (with exceptions) are:

Non-living thing(s) --> ing

Examples goes:

1. The movie is interesting for it is free. (Movies are not living things)


2. Your cooking is really amazing! Much better than mine! (Cooking skill is not a living thing)

Living thing(s) --> ed

Examples goes:

1. I feel so bored half way through the lecture that I left to play football. (I am a living thing)


2. He was so depressed that he ate one large pizza on his own. (He is a person)

But if you want to be 100% correct, then you need to remember another two:

Describe the people or things that cause the feelings -->-ing
eg. Sandra is an amazing person. (Sandra caused the feeling)

To say how people feel --> -ed

eg. Sandra is amazed. (Sandra feels this way)

The use of ed/ing adjectives can be very wide, here I have just mentioned some. If you have seen others, you are welcome to post them here.

For exercises, try: http://www.better-english.com/grammar/adjing.htm

Grammar: Third Conditional (Add-ons answer)

Yes, this entry is posted late, on Thursday, because I did not receive replies for the previous questions I posted. Now that I have, here is the answer to the previous article:

1) If I had left home earlier, I would have caught the first bus.

(But I didn't leave home earlier, I left home late, so I missed the first bus)

2) If I had left home earlier, I wouldn't have caught the first bus.

(I didn't leave home earlier, I left home late, but because of that, I saw the news and realised that there was a change of bus route, so I went to another bus stop, and I still caught the bus)

3) If I hadn't left home earlier, I would have caught the first bus.

(I left home earlier, but I ran into a police who caught me jaywalking, that delayed my time and I missed the first bus)

4) If I hadn't left home earlier, I wouldn't have caught the first bus.

(I left home earlier, so I caught the first bus)

So, all the correct answers are, there are no repeated situations.

C, need to try harder.

Phy, you are right for all sentences, but a little explanation would be better.

Mei, you are close.

Gladys, well done, very detailed and organised, you have got it spot on for the mood of the sentences, but the time implied in the condition wasn't so really linked up to the results. The tricky thing in my questions is the term "first bus". If I just say "bus", you will be very correct, but since this is the first one, then you need to be careful why in 2) that I still caught the first bus even if I left home late.

Everyone, study the answers carefully. Get back to me if you have anymore doubts. If it crucial that you understand the logic perfectly well.

Do you want more questions? I can think of more!