How do you teach adjectives ending in ED and ing?
Christopher Pierce
Updated on March 02, 2026
Here are some teaching tips to help clarify the situation for your students.
- Sentence Patterns. Start by reminding students of the two adjective patterns used in English sentences:
- Feelings.
- -ING Adjectives: Be + Adj.
- -ING Adjectives: Adj + N.
- -ED Adjectives: Be + Adj.
- -ED Adjectives: Adj + N.
- Cause & Effect.
- Exceptions.
What is the use of adjectives ending in ED and ing?
Yes, that’s correct, they are not only endings that we use for verbs! An adjective that ends in -ING is used to describe: the characteristic of a person, a thing or a situation. An adjective that ends in -ED is used to describe: a feeling (or how a person feels) or an emotion. It is used to describe a temporary thing.
Can you give 10 examples of adjectives ending in Ed?
Look at these examples to see how adjectives ending in -ed and -ing are used. I was really bored in that presentation….-ing adjectives.
| annoyed | annoying |
|---|---|
| confused | confusing |
| disappointed | disappointing |
| excited | exciting |
| frightened | frightening |
How do you teach ing?
If a word has a short vowel sound and follows the vowel + consonant ending, then you need to double the consonant before adding -ing. Give your class some examples to help them understand this rule. For example: swim to swimming, tap to tapping, etc.
What are words ending in Ed called?
The past tense refers to things that happened in the past. To make the past tense of regular verbs, the ending -ed is added to the infinitive (‘I asked her a question’). The present participle refers to things that are still happening.
What is ing form called?
gerunds
The “-ing” form can function as a noun. These nouns are called gerunds and can be the subject of a clause, followed by a third-person singular (he/she/it) form of the verb.
How do you teach Ed endings?
The Spelling of -ed Endings:
- If the verb ends in e then simple add -d to the end (not -ed).
- If the verb ends in C+y then change the y to i and add -ed.
- If the verb is one syllable and ends in a combination of CVC then double the last C and add -ed.
What are words that end in ing?
Words That End With ING
- bing.
- ding.
- king.
- ling.
- ping.
- ring.
- sing.
- ting.
Do verbs end with Ed?
The past simple tense and past participle of all regular verbs end in -ed. For example: work, worked, worked. In addition, many adjectives are made from the past participle and so end in -ed. For example: I like painted furniture.
What do nouns end in Ed?
About half the nouns in this course may have the endings -ing, -ed, or -er. If the ending is -ing, it is an action; If the ending is -ed, it is the thing receiving the action. If the ending is -er, it is the doer of the action.
What do adjectives end in ing?
obliging
Does an adjective end in ing?
Adjectives that End in -ING. In general, adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe things and situations. They have an active meaning. They describe someone that is doing something (acting) or something that is causing something to us, making us feel in a certain way.