When we want to express an opinion about someone or something, we often use an adjective followed by a ‘to’-infinitive clause

4. When we want to express an opinion about someone or something, we often use an adjective followed by a ‘to’-infinitive clause.

difficult easy impossible possible right wrong

e.g. She had been easy to deceive.

The windows will be almost impossible to open.

Am I wrong to stay here?

 

5. With some adjectives, we use a ‘that’-clause to express an opinion about someone or something.

awful bad essential

extraordinary funny good

important interesting obvious

sad true

e.g. I was sad that people had reacted in this way.

. It is extraordinary that we should ever have met!

6. We can also use adjectives with ‘to’-infinitive clauses after ‘it’ as the impersonal subject. We use the preposition ‘of ’ or ‘for’ to indicate the person or thing that the adjective relates to.

e.g. It was easy to find the path.

It was good of John to help me.

It was difficult for her to find a job.

Adjectives ending in ‘-ing’ or ‘-ed’

1.    We use many ‘-ing’ adjectives to describe the effect that something has on our feelings, or on the feelings of people in general. For example, if we talk about 'a surprising number', we mean that the number surprises us.

alarming amazing annoying astonishing boring

charming confusing convincing depressing disappointing

embarrassing exciting frightening interesting shocking

surprising terrifying tiring welcoming worrying

e.g. He lives in a charming house just outside the town.

She always has a warm welcoming smile.

2.    We use some ‘-ing’ adjectives to describe something that continues over a period of time.

ageing booming

decreasing dying

existing increasing

living remaining

e.g. Britain is an ageing society.

Increasing prices are making food very expensive.

3.    Many ‘-ed’ adjectives describe people's feelings. They have the same form as the past participle of a transitive verb and have a passive meaning. For example, ‘a frightened person’ is a person who has been frightened by something.

alarmed amused astonished bored

delighted depressed disappointed excited

frightened interested satisfied shocked

surprised tired troubled worried

e.g. She looks alarmed about something.

A bored student complained to his teacher.

She had big blue frightened eyes.

Note that the past participles of irregular verbs do not end in ‘-ed’, but can be used as adjectives.

e.g. The bird had a broken wing.

His coat was dirty and torn.

4. Like other adjectives, ‘-ing’ and ‘-ed’ adjectives can be:

used in front of a noun

They still show amazing loyalty to their parents.

This is the most terrifying tale ever written.

I was thanked by the satisfied customer.

The worried authorities cancelled the match.

used after link verbs

It's amazing what they can do.

The present situation is terrifying.

He felt satisfied with all the work he had done.

My husband was worried.

modified by adverbials such as ‘quite‘, ‘really‘, and ‘very’

The film was quite boring.

There is nothing very surprising in this.

She was quite astonished at his behaviour.

He was a very disappointed young man.

used in the comparative and superlative

His argument was more convincing than mine.

He became even more depressed after she died.

This is one of the most boring books I've ever read.

She was the most interested in going to the cinema.

 

5. A small number of ‘-ed‘ adjectives are normally only used after link verbs such as ‘be‘, ‘become‘, or ‘feel‘. They are related to transitive verbs, and are often followed by a prepositional phrase, a ‘to‘-infinitive clause, or a ‘that‘-clause.

convinced delighted finished

interested involved pleased

prepared scared thrilled

tired touched worried

e.g. The Brazilians are pleased with the results.

He was always prepared to account for his actions.

She was scared that they would find her.