-Ed vs. -Ing Adjectives – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are texting your coworker about a massive scandal on the news. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each message.
1 “Did you see the front page today? The news about the Tech CEO’s arrest is absolutely ______!”
(A) shock
(B) shocked
(C) shocking
(D) shockingly
2 “I dropped my coffee cup because I was so ______ when I read the headline.”
(A) shock
(B) shocked
(C) shocking
(D) shockingly
3 “It is highly ______ that a famous billionaire would steal from his own employees.”
(A) surprise
(B) surprised
(C) surprising
(D) surprisingly
4 “Everyone in our office is completely ______ by this massive financial scandal.”
(A) surprise
(B) surprised
(C) surprising
(D) surprisingly
5 “Reading the dark details of the police investigation was deeply ______.”
(A) disturb
(B) disturbed
(C) disturbing
(D) disturbance
6 “I feel quite ______ just thinking about how much money was secretly hidden.”
(A) disturb
(B) disturbed
(C) disturbing
(D) disturbance
7 “The sheer amount of fake documents they found in his mansion is truly ______.”
(A) astonish
(B) astonished
(C) astonishing
(D) astonishment
8 “I was completely ______ to learn that the fraud had been going on for ten years.”
(A) astonish
(B) astonished
(C) astonishing
(D) astonishment
9 “The fact that nobody in the government noticed this earlier is quite ______.”
(A) worry
(B) worried
(C) worrying
(D) worrier
10 “Many investors are now highly ______ about losing their life savings.”
(A) worry
(B) worried
(C) worrying
(D) worrier
11 “I tried to read the financial report online, but the numbers were too ______.”
(A) confuse
(B) confused
(C) confusing
(D) confusion
12 “A lot of reporters still look ______ when trying to explain the situation on live TV.”
(A) confuse
(B) confused
(C) confusing
(D) confusion
13 “The interview with the whistle-blower this morning was incredibly ______ to watch.”
(A) fascinate
(B) fascinated
(C) fascinating
(D) fascination
14 “I was absolutely ______ by her courage to speak the truth against such a powerful man.”
(A) fascinate
(B) fascinated
(C) fascinating
(D) fascination
15 “However, the company’s official apology letter was very ______.”
(A) disappoint
(B) disappointed
(C) disappointing
(D) disappointment
16 “I am deeply ______ that the board of directors did not take full responsibility for the mess.”
(A) disappoint
(B) disappointed
(C) disappointing
(D) disappointment
17 “The idea that our own company might have done business with them is ______.”
(A) terrify
(B) terrified
(C) terrifying
(D) terror
18 “I am a bit ______ that the stock market will crash because of this panic.”
(A) terrify
(B) terrified
(C) terrifying
(D) terror
19 “This whole crazy event is going to make a very ______ documentary film one day.”
(A) interest
(B) interested
(C) interesting
(D) interestingly
20 “I am definitely ______ in seeing how the court trial ends next month. Let’s talk at lunch!”
(A) interest
(B) interested
(C) interesting
(D) interestingly
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) shocking
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the “news”. The news is the source that causes the shock. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (B) News cannot feel shocked; it has no emotions. (D) Adverb.
2 (B) shocked
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s internal emotional state (“I was so…”). The speaker receives the shock. → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (C) “I was shocking” means the speaker is a scandalous person who causes shock to others. (D) Adverb.
3 (C) surprising
- Why it is correct (The Key): “It is…” refers to the fact/situation (the billionaire stealing). The situation causes the surprise. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (B) A situation cannot feel surprised. (D) Adverb.
4 (B) surprised
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the internal feeling of “Everyone in our office” (the people). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (C) Describes the scandal, not the people. (D) Adverb.
5 (C) disturbing
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes “the dark details of the police investigation”. The details cause the uncomfortable feeling. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) Details cannot feel disturbed. (D) Noun.
6 (B) disturbed
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s internal psychological state (“I feel quite…”). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Means the speaker is causing a disturbance. (D) Noun.
7 (C) astonishing
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the “sheer amount of fake documents” (a fact/thing). It causes astonishment. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) Documents cannot feel astonished. (D) Noun.
8 (B) astonished
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s extreme emotional reaction (“I was completely…”). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Describes the fraud itself. (D) Noun.
9 (C) worrying
- Why it is correct (The Key): “The fact that…” refers to a situation. The situation causes worry. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (B) A fact cannot feel worried. (D) Noun (a person who worries).
10 (B) worried
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the internal anxiety of the “investors” (people). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (C) Means the investors are causing worry to others. (D) Noun.
11 (C) confusing
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes “the numbers”. The numbers cause confusion for the reader. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) Numbers cannot feel confused. (D) Noun.
12 (B) confused
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the mental state of the “reporters” (people). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Describes the situation. (D) Noun.
13 (C) fascinating
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the “interview”. The interview provides the extreme interest. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) An interview cannot feel fascinated. (D) Noun.
14 (B) fascinated
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s internal state of being captivated (“I was absolutely…”). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Describes the whistle-blower’s courage. (D) Noun.
15 (C) disappointing
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the “company’s official apology letter”. The letter causes the disappointment. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) A letter cannot feel disappointed. (D) Noun.
16 (B) disappointed
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s emotional reaction to the letter. → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Describes the board of directors’ actions. (D) Noun.
17 (C) terrifying
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the “idea” of doing business with them. The idea causes the fear. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (B) An idea cannot feel terrified. (D) Noun.
18 (B) terrified
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s internal fear (“I am a bit…”). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb. (C) Describes the stock market crash. (D) Noun.
19 (C) interesting
- Why it is correct (The Key): Modifies the “documentary film”. The film will cause interest. → -ING adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (B) A film cannot feel interested. (D) Adverb.
20 (B) interested
- Why it is correct (The Key): Describes the speaker’s internal curiosity (“I am definitely…”). → -ED adjective.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Verb/Noun. (C) Describes the trial. (D) Adverb.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “Source vs. Receiver” Rule in News Reporting
When talking about current events, scandals, or breaking news, it is crucial to separate the event itself from the public’s reaction to it.
- -ING Adjectives describe the SOURCE (The News): Use these to describe the headlines, the crime, the facts, or the broadcast. These things produce the psychological reaction.
- Example: The news on TV is shocking.
- -ED Adjectives describe the RECEIVER (The Public/You): Use these to describe yourself, your colleagues, the victims, or the general public. Humans receive the emotional impact.
- Example: The public is shocked.
2 The Impact of Misusing “Shocking” vs. “Shocked”
At the B1 level, mixing these up can lead to funny or awkward misunderstandings when gossiping with colleagues.
- Incorrect: “Did you hear the news? I am so shocking!” (This means: “I am a scandalous person who does crazy things!”)
- Correct: “Did you hear the news? I am so shocked!” (This means: “I am stunned by what happened.”)
3 Common Vocabulary Pairs for Sensational News
To effectively discuss breaking news and share your reactions, memorize these natural pairings:
- Shocking / Shocked: The arrest is shocking; I am shocked.
- Astonishing / Astonished: The amount of stolen money is astonishing; the investors are astonished.
- Disturbing / Disturbed: The crime details are disturbing; the readers feel disturbed.
- Worrying / Worried: The economic impact is worrying; the employees are worried.