Interested vs Interesting: How -ed and -ing Adjectives Work

Interested and interesting are both correct words, but they describe different sides of the same situation. This pattern also appears in pairs such as bored/boring, excited/exciting and confused/confusing.

The simple rule

-ed adjectives usually describe how a person feels.

• I am interested in pronunciation.
• She was surprised by the result.
• They felt confused after the explanation.

-ing adjectives usually describe the person, thing or situation that creates the feeling.

• Pronunciation is interesting.
• The result was surprising.
• The explanation was confusing.

Why the mistake matters

If you say I am boring, you are not saying that you feel bored. You are saying that other people may find you boring. That is a very different message.

Useful pairs

• bored / boring
• excited / exciting
• tired / tiring
• amazed / amazing
• frustrated / frustrating
• relaxed / relaxing

Prepositions after -ed adjectives

Some common patterns are:

• interested in
• excited about
• bored with/by
• surprised by/at

Quick practice

Choose the correct word: (1) The documentary was interested / interesting. (2) I was tired / tiring after the trip. (3) The instructions are confused / confusing. (4) We are excited / exciting about the lesson.

Answers: interesting; tired; confusing; excited.

Memory shortcut: -ed = the feeling; -ing = the cause.

Can a person be interesting or boring?

Yes. A person can be interesting if other people enjoy listening to them or learning from them. A person can be boring if they cause boredom. The important question is still the same: are you describing the feeling or the cause?

Compare: I am interested in my tutor’s stories. The learner has the feeling. My tutor is interesting. The tutor causes the interest.

Use the pair in one situation

A useful practice method is to create two connected sentences: The task was tiring, so I was tired. / The presentation was exciting, so the audience was excited. Building both sides of the pair helps the pattern become automatic.