Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →English · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 39
Bored or boring?
Dialogue
I'm boring or I'm bored?
- Emma You look sad. Is everything okay?
- Minsu It's Sunday and I have nothing to do. I'm boring.
- Emma Careful — "I'm boring" means you make other people bored! You mean "I'm bored": you feel it.
- Minsu Oh! So I'm bored, and Sundays are boring.
- Emma Exactly! Come with me — there's a film festival. It's really interesting.
- Minsu Great! Now I'm interested and excited. Let's go!
Dialogue
Before the exam
- Jack The exam is tomorrow. I'm a bit worried.
- Emma Don't be worried. You studied a lot. Are you tired?
- Jack A little. The last chapter was very confusing, but the teacher is good.
- Emma You'll be fine. And after the exam, we'll be so relaxed!
- Jack You're right. I feel better now. Thanks, Emma.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| bored | adj. | bored | |
| boring | adj. | boring | |
| tired | adj. | tired | |
| excited | adj. | excited | |
| exciting | adj. | exciting | |
| interested | adj. | interested | |
| interesting | adj. | interesting | |
| worried | adj. | worried | |
| surprised | adj. | surprised | |
| relaxed | adj. | relaxed |
Grammar
Feelings: "-ed" and "-ing" adjectives Feelings: "-ed" and "-ing" adjectives
Many feeling adjectives come as a pair — one ending in "-ed", one in "-ing" — and they are NOT interchangeable. The "-ed" form describes the PERSON who feels something: "I'm bored", "She's tired", "They're excited", "He's worried". The "-ing" form describes the THING (or person) that CAUSES the feeling: "This lesson is boring", "The journey was tiring", "The match is exciting", "The news is worrying". A simple test: ask "who feels it?" → "-ed"; ask "what causes it?" → "-ing". So "I am bored" (I feel it) but "the film is boring" (it causes it). The dangerous mistake is describing yourself with the "-ing" form: "I'm boring" does not mean you feel bored — it means YOU are a boring person who bores everyone else! Same trap with "I'm interesting" (= I fascinate people) vs "I'm interested" (= I want to know more). Use these adjectives after "be": am / is / are / was / were + adjective.
Many feeling adjectives come as a pair — one ending in "-ed", one in "-ing" — and they are NOT interchangeable. The "-ed" form describes the PERSON who feels something: "I'm bored", "She's tired", "They're excited", "He's worried". The "-ing" form describes the THING (or person) that CAUSES the feeling: "This lesson is boring", "The journey was tiring", "The match is exciting", "The news is worrying". A simple test: ask "who feels it?" → "-ed"; ask "what causes it?" → "-ing". So "I am bored" (I feel it) but "the film is boring" (it causes it). The dangerous mistake is describing yourself with the "-ing" form: "I'm boring" does not mean you feel bored — it means YOU are a boring person who bores everyone else! Same trap with "I'm interesting" (= I fascinate people) vs "I'm interested" (= I want to know more). Use these adjectives after "be": am / is / are / was / were + adjective.
- I'm bored. This lesson is boring. I'm bored. This lesson is boring.
- She's very excited because the trip is so exciting. She's very excited because the trip is so exciting.
- Are you interested in music? — Yes, I think music is very interesting. Are you interested in music? — Yes, I think music is very interesting.
- We were tired after the long walk. It was very tiring. We were tired after the long walk. It was very tiring.
pronunciation
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →