 Grammar: Participles [ 2008-09-22 14:56 ]
Question: I always say “I’m boring” when I mean “I’m bored”. How can I tell the difference?
Grammar: Participles
Both sentences “I’m boring” and “I’m bored” are grammatically correct, though they mean very different things. The –ing ending means you are changing a situation, and the –ed ending means the situation is changing you.
If you are boring, then other people don’t want to be around you – you change them / bore them.
If you are bored, then something / someone near you is changing you and your feelings.
All of these pairs (e.g. tired / tiring, excited / exciting) are formed from verbs:
? John bores Mary, so
o Mary is bored.
o John is boring.
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