English Time - Adjective ended with -ing

ADJECTIVES: -ing

Generally said -ing adjectives have an active meaning, describing someone that is doing something (acting) or something that is causing something to us (making us feel in a certain way or giving us some kind of impression etc).

While adjectives ending with -ed have a passive meaning, describing someone 'receiving' some kind of action, made to feel in a certain way or given an impression.

To make it clearer, let's take a look at the following examples:

a talking clock

a singing bird

a winning team

a laughing child

They all 'do' something – the clock is talking, the bird is singing, the team is winning, the child is crying. The adjectives with 'ing, here, have an active meaning. So, 'talking', 'singing', winning' and laughing' are used to describe an action.

You use many ‘-ing’ adjectives to describe the effect that something has on your feelings, or on the feelings of people in general. For example, if you talk about ‘a surprising number’, you mean that the number surprises you.

alarming amazing annoying astonishing boring charming confusing convincing depressing disappointing embarrassing exciting frightening interesting shocking surprising terrifying tiring welcoming worrying

He lives in a charming house just outside the town.

She always has a warm welcoming smile.

You use some ‘-ing’ adjectives to describe something that continues over a period of time.

ageing booming decreasing dying existing increasing living remaining

Britain is an ageing society.

Increasing prices are making food very expensive.