Adjectives: position and clear feelings

Position and linking verbs

Many adjectives go before a noun or after a linking verb. Some are restricted: asleep usually follows a linking verb, while main normally goes before a noun.

Worked example: A quiet room helped us work. Quiet describes room before the noun. The room was quiet. Quiet follows the linking verb was.

Meaning in feeling pairs

In feeling pairs such as boring/bored, -ing describes what causes the feeling and -ed describes who experiences it. Choose by meaning: a person can be interesting as well as interested.

Worked example: The guide was interesting, and the tourists were interested. The guide caused interest; the tourists experienced it. Both adjectives can describe people.

Separate explained answers

1. The children were asleep. Asleep normally follows a linking verb. Sleeping is the usual adjective form before children in this context.

2. boring / bored The journey caused boredom, so it was boring. The speaker experienced boredom and felt bored.

3. A guide who attracts interest Interesting describes the guide’s effect or quality. People can be interesting; -ing adjectives are not limited to things.