ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS


Adjectives ending in –ing and –ed


There are many adjectives ending in –ing  or –ed. For example, boring and bored.

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.


Adjectives with –ING endings DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A PERSON OR A THING.

Julia thinks politics is very interesting.

The news was shocking.

Adjectives with –ED endings DESCRIBE A FEELING (how people feel).

Julia is very interested in politics.

We were very shocked when we heard the news.


PRACTICE


Choose the correct option.

1 It was a long and very tiring / tired day for her.

2 I’m disappointing / disappointed that you can’t come.

3 It’s not a very interesting / interested idea.

4 Something really exciting / excited happened at the weekend.

5 Bears are terrifying / terrified when they get angry.

6 When you’re nice and relaxing / relaxed, we can begin.

7 Jack always looks very worrying / worried before a test.

8 That’s not surprising / surprised news.

9 Shopping is so boring /bored.

10 Is the boss annoying / annoyed because you were late?


Adjectives and adverbs


Adjectives

1 Adjectives are typically used with nouns (e.g. clever student, good cook).

2 Some adjectives can be used after the verbs look/feel/sound/smell (e.g. Why do you always look so
serious?).

3 Some adjectives (fast, hard, late) have the same adverb form (a hard life X He studies hard every
day.).

4 Some adjectives already end in –ly (friendly, silly, lovely, lonely). In the adverb form they are
used with the phrase (talk to someone in a friendly way)


Adverbs

5 Adverbs are typically used with verbs (e.g. He cooks well).

6 Adverbs are also used to qualify adjectives (e.g. reasonably cheap).

7 Adverbs can also qualify other adverbs and prepositional phrases (e.g. He did it unexpectedly
well.)

8 To form some adverbs from adjectives you have to change the spelling. Other adjectives have a
totally irregular adverb form (e.g. ready – readily; good - well).

9 Hard and hardly are completely different. (e.g. He tried hard to find a job but had no luck. = he
tried a lot  X  I’m not surprised he didn’t find a job. He hardly tried to find one. = he tried
very little


PRACTICE


1 Next to each of these adjectives write the appropriate adverb.


Adjectives

          Adverbs

                 Adjectives

                            Adverbs

quick


                 beautiful


slow


                 comfortable


early


                 terrible


careful


                 happy


good


                 nice


hard


                 easy


sudden


                 quiet


bad


                 fast


easy


                 immediate




2 Complete each sentence using a word from the list. Sometimes you need the adjective (careful
etc.) and sometimes the adverb (carefully etc.)


careful(ly)                complete(ly)            continuous(ly)
financial(ly)        fluent(ly)       good/well     happy/happily
nervous(ly)              perfect(ly)                    quick(ly)             special(ly)


1 Our holiday was too short. The time passed very ____________________.

2 Tom doesn’t take risks when he is driving. He’s always ____________________.

3 Sue works ____________________. She never seems to stop.

4 Alice and Stan are very ____________________married.

5 Monica’s English is very ____________________although she makes quite a lot of mistakes.

6 I cooked this meal ____________________for you, so I hope you like it.

7 Everything was very quiet. There was ____________________silence.

8 I tried on the shoes and they fitted me ____________________.

9 Do you usually feel ____________________before examinations?

10 I’d like to buy a car but it is ____________________impossible for me at the moment.

11 George speaks German very ____________________,George’s German is very ____________________.