Learn English with Bob the Canadian

Don't Make These Mistakes When Using English Adjectives!

March 03, 2021 Bob the Canadian Season 2 Episode 23
Learn English with Bob the Canadian
Don't Make These Mistakes When Using English Adjectives!
Show Notes Transcript

I've noticed that English learners sometimes get their adjectives mixed up. I actually make the same mistake when I'm speaking French! In this English lesson I'll look at adjectives that end in -ED and -ING and how they can have very different meanings when you use them to talk about yourself.

If you've ever said, "I'm amazing!", instead of, "I'm amazed!" you might smile a bit during this lesson when you realize what you actually said. One means you think you're cool, the other means you are looking at something that amazes you.

Learning English takes time, and sometimes along the way it's important to review and improve your use of adjectives. I hope this English adjective lesson brings a smile to your face and also helps you in your next English conversation!

I think it's very cool that you are learning English and I hope you have a great day!

Note: This is the audio portion of a Youtube English lesson which you can watch right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XsBl-qOTrU or find by searching Youtube for, "Bob the Canadian Adjective Mistakes"

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There is a mistake that I make quite often when I am speaking French, and it makes me laugh at myself. And I've noticed that people who are learning English, people who are learning to speak English, sometimes make the same mistake, even though it's a different language. And that mistake is this. When they are using adjectives that end in -ed or -ing, they choose the wrong one and it can make for some humorous results. I don't think people should laugh at people who are learning English. But certainly when I explain this to you, you might laugh at yourself when you realize what you are saying. It's the difference between saying things like this. I am terrified, which means you are scared, or I am terrifying, which means you scare other people.

Let's talk a little bit about when you should use the adjectives that I'm going to teach you in this lesson that end in -ed versus the adjectives that end in -ing. Let's use the adjectives bored and boring. When we use the -ed version of the adjective, we're talking about something we are feeling. We are talking about an emotion. If I say I'm bored, it means that I'm feeling bored. I'm probably watching something or listening to something that I don't find very interesting, and I am bored. When we use the -ing versions of these adjectives, we are talking about the characteristic of something or someone. So if I say I'm boring, it means that I'm not very interesting. It means that whatever I'm talking about is actually causing other people to be bored. So once again, we use the -ed version to talk about a feeling or an emotion. We use the -ing version to talk about a characteristic of someone or something.

When I watch my favorite television show, I'm excited. I am very happy and I have a lot of positive energy when I watch my favorite TV show, I'm excited. I want to be careful here though. I don't want to say I'm exciting. That means that when other people watch me, they would be happy and have lots of positive energy. And that's not what I'm trying to say. If I did want to use the adjective exciting though, I could use it to describe the television show. I could say I'm excited to watch my favorite TV show because my favorite TV show is exciting.

If someone starts talking about history, I'm interested. I love learning about the past. But if I had said I'm interesting, it means that other people find me fascinating, that people like watching me because there's something interesting about me. That has a completely different meaning. Here is a sentence where I'll use interested and interesting together. I could say this. When someone starts talking about history, I'm interested because I think history is interesting.

Sometimes at work, I'm frustrated. That means things aren't going well and I'm getting a little bit upset. I'm frustrated. But if I was to say I'm frustrating, it would mean that I bother other people. It would mean that other people get annoyed with me. It would mean that I am aggravating, that I am not someone who is fun to work with. So again, a completely different meaning. So, here's a better sentence. I could say this. Sometimes at work, I'm frustrated because the job I am doing is frustrating.

Sometimes when I read a story, I'm confused. Sometimes it's hard to understand what's happening in the story that I'm reading. I'm confused. But if I was to say, I'm confusing, it would mean that other people have trouble understanding me when I talk or when I explain something. Let's use both adjectives though in the same sentence. I could say this. Sometimes when I read a story, I'm confused because the story is confusing.

When I watch a really good movie, I'm amused, I'm entertained, I find it enjoyable. But if I was to say I'm amusing, it would mean that I'm acting in a way that makes people smile and laugh. Again, a completely different meaning. I could say this though. I could say, when I watch a movie, I am amused because the movie is amusing.

Speaking of movies, sometimes I watch a movie and it's not very good, and then I'm disappointed. But if I was to say I'm disappointing, it would mean that I'm not very good. It would mean that other people are sad when they have to hang around with me, that I'm just not a very nice person to be with. I'm disappointing. Let's use both adjectives though in the same sentence. We could say this. Sometimes when I watch a movie, I'm disappointed because the movie is disappointing.

When I make videos outside, sometimes there's lots of traffic and I'm annoyed. It bothers me because it's really loud and there's just vehicles going by all the time while I'm trying to make an English lesson. But if I was to say, I'm annoying, it would mean that other people don't like being around me, that somehow I'm not a very nice person. It would have a completely different meaning. I could say this though. I could say I'm annoyed because there's lots of traffic, and the sound the traffic makes is annoying.

When I was younger, my friends took me to see a scary movie and I don't like scary movies. While I was watching the movie, I could have said I'm frightened. That means I was expressing that I was feeling the emotion of fear. If I had said, though, I'm frightening, It would mean that other people would get afraid when I was around, a completely different meaning. If we wanted to use both these adjectives in a sentence, though, I could say this. I could say I'm frightened because the movie is frightening.

At work, I have a lot of work to do, and sometimes I'm overwhelmed. There's too much work and it feels like I'm never going to get it done. I'm overwhelmed. But if I was to say, I'm overwhelming, it would mean that other people find me to be a little bit much, we would say in English. They would find me to be someone who talks too much or someone who expects too much from them, a completely different meaning. But I could say this if I wanted to use both adjectives. I could say I'm overwhelmed at work because I find the project I'm working on is overwhelming.

When I'm done exercising, I'm exhausted. I don't have any energy left when I'm done exercising. I'm exhausted. But if I was to say, I'm exhausting, it would mean that when other people are with me, I kind of steal their energy. It's not a very nice thing to be exhausting when you're around other people. But again, if we wanted to use both words, both adjectives in the same sentence, I could say this. I'm exhausted when I'm done exercising because exercising is exhausting.

When I look up at the night sky, I'm fascinated. I love looking at the stars and the moon. I'm fascinated when I look at the night sky. But if I was to say, I'm fascinating, it would mean that I think when I'm around other people, they are in awe of me. They just love watching what I do and seeing what I do. I'm fascinating. It's kind of an arrogant thing to say. But let's use both adjectives in one sentence. I could say this. I'm fascinated by the night sky because the stars are fascinating.

When I'm sure of something, I'm convinced. I'm convinced that this pandemic will be over someday. But if I was to say I'm convincing, it means that I'm good at arguing with people so that they eventually agree with me, a completely different meaning. So if I wanted to use both of these in the same sentence, I could say this. I'm convinced the pandemic will be over soon because the news articles I've been reading are very convincing.

Jen grows flowers on our farm, and I'm amazed when she plants seeds in the ground and eventually they grow and they bloom into a beautiful flower. I'm amazed. But if I was to say I'm amazing, it means that I think I'm just all that. That's another way to say it in English. It means that I think I'm just the coolest, most awesome person in the world. I'm amazing, obviously a completely different meaning. But if I wanted to use both adjectives in the same sentence, I could say this. I'm amazed when a seed grows into a flower because plants are amazing.

Hey, thank you so much for watching this lesson on adjectives that end in -ed and -ing. If this is your first time here, don't forget to click that red subscribe button over there. And give me a thumbs up if this video helped you learn just a little bit more English. And if you have a little bit more time, why don't you stick around and watch another English lesson?