Verbs that can be used as adjectives

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

In English, some verbs can also act as adjectives. These verbs, when used as adjectives, usually describe a noun by showing a state, quality, or condition. They often appear in their past participle or present participle form.

In today’s NRTC English, I have explained how these verbs work as adjectives with simple rules and many examples to make it clear for you.

How do verbs become adjectives?

Present participle (-ing form):
Verbs in the present participle form (ending in -ing) can describe someone or something that is doing an action or causing a feeling.

• Example: The running water is cold.
  (Running describes the water.)
• Example: She is an inspiring teacher.
  (Inspiring describes the teacher.)

Past participle (-ed form):
Verbs in the past participle form (often ending in -ed, though there are irregular forms) describe a condition or result of an action.

• Example: The broken vase was on the table.
  (Broken describes the vase.)
• Example: He has a tired look on his face.
  (Tired describes the look on his face.)

Examples of verbs as adjectives

Here are more examples to make the concept clearer:

Using present participles (-ing):

• The barking dog kept me awake. (Barking describes the dog.)
• It was a very interesting book. (Interesting describes the book.)
• We had a relaxing weekend at the beach. (Relaxing describes the weekend.)

Using past participles (-ed):

• She picked up the fallen leaves. (Fallen describes the leaves.)
• The excited children ran to the park. (Excited describes the children.)
• I need to replace the burnt toast. (Burnt describes the toast.)

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Here are some tips to remember

-ing forms are active: They describe something doing an action or causing a feeling.

• Exciting movie (The movie is causing excitement.)
• Confusing instructions (The instructions are causing confusion.)

-ed forms are passive or completed: They describe how something feels or what has happened to it.

• Excited students (The students feel excitement.)
• Confused audience (The audience feels confusion.)

Common mistakes you should avoid

Don’t confuse -ing and -ed forms:

• Incorrect: The bored lecture was long.
• Correct: The boring lecture was long. (Boring describes the lecture because it causes boredom.)
• Incorrect: I was so boring during the meeting.
• Correct: I was so bored during the meeting. (Bored describes how you felt.)

Not all verbs work as adjectives:
Some verbs, like exist or happen, don’t easily turn into adjectives.

• Example: The existing problems need attention. (Existing is fine.)
• Example: The happened event was unexpected. (Happened doesn’t work here; use unexpected instead.)

Practice Sentences

Try to figure out which verb form (present participle or past participle) is correct in these sentences:

1. The (boring/bored) story made everyone sleepy.
2. I saw a (fallen/falling) tree blocking the road.
3. Her (inspiring/inspired) speech gave me hope.
4. They were (confusing/confused) by the instructions.

Answers

1. boring
2. fallen
3. inspiring
4. confused

Understanding how verbs can be used as adjectives will help you describe things more effectively. With practice, spotting and using these forms in your daily English will become easier.