STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION SKILL 51: USE –ED AND –ING ADJECTIVES CORRECTLY

LONGMAN COMPLETE COURSE FOR THE TOEFL TEST

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

SKILL 51: USE –ED AND –ING ADJECTIVES CORRECTLY

Verb forms ending in –ed  and –ing can be used as adjectives. For example, the verbal adjectives cleaned and cleaning come from the verb to clean

The woman cleans the car. The cleaning woman worked on the car. The woman put the cleaned car back in the garage.

In the first example, cleans is the verb of the sentence. In the second example, cleaning is a verbal adjective describing woman. In the third example, cleaned is a verbal adjective describing car

Verbal adjectives ending in –ed and –ing can be confused in written expression questions on the TOEFL test.

The cleaning* car …

The cleaned* woman …

The difference between –ed and an –ing adjective is similar to the difference between the active and the passive. An –ing adjective (like the active) means that the noun it describes is doing the action. The above example about the cleaning car is not correct because a car cannot do the action of cleaning; you cannot say that a car cleans itself. And –ed adjective means that the noun it describes is receiving the action from the verb. The above example about the cleaned woman is not correct because in this example a woman does not receive the action of the verb clean; this sentence does not mean that someone cleaned the woman

The following chart chart outlines the key information that you should remember about –ed and –ing adjectives.:

EXERCISE 51: Each of the following sentences contains either an –ed or an –ing verbal adjective. Circle the verbal adjectives. Draw arrows to the words they describe. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

……………	3	They thought that it had been a very satisfied dinner.
……………	4	The empty bottlers are to the left, and the filling bottles are to the right.
……………	5	For lunch at the restaurant she ordered a mixed salad.
……………	6	The students thought that it was an interesting assignment.
……………	7	The shoppers were impressed by the reducing prices.
……………	8	he can’t afford to take long vacations to exotic places because he is a worked man.
……………	9	I recently received several annoying phone calls from the insurance agent.
……………	10	Today the bookkeeper will work on the unpaying bills.

ANSWER KEY

1	I	(completing should be completed)
2	C
3	I	(satisfied should be satisfying)
4	I	(filling should be filled)
5	C
6	C
7	I	(reducing should be reduced)
8	I	(worked should be working)
9	C
10	I	(unpaying should be unpaid)