Practice Participial adjectives
The problem confuses the students.
(a) It is a confusing problem.
The present participle conveys an active meaning. The noun it modifies does something. In (a): The noun "problem" does something; it "confuses." Thus it is described as a "confusing problem."
The students are confused by the problem.
(b) They are confused students.
The past participle conveys a passive meaning. In (b): The students are confused by something. Thus, they are described as "confused students."
I. Complete the sentences with the present or past participle.
eg The class bores the students. It's a boring class.
eg The students are bored by the class. They are bored students.
1. The game excites the people. It is an... game. 2. The people are excited by the game. They are... people. 3. The news surprised the man. It was... news. 4. The man was surprised by the news. It was a ... man. 5. The child was frightened by the strange noise. The ... child sought comfort from her father. 6. The strange noise frightened the child. It was a... sound. 7. The work exhausted the men. It was ... work. 8. The men were exhausted. The ... men sat down to rest under the shade of a tree. 9. The story amuses the children. It is an ... story. 10. The children are amused by the story. They are ... children. 11. Mike heard some bad news. The bad news depressed him. a) Mike is very sad. In other words, he is... b) The news made Mike feel sad. The news was... 12. Nancy's rude behaviour embarrassed her parents, a) Nancy's rude behaviour was... b) Nancy's parents were... 13. The nation's leader stole money. The scandal shocked the nation, a) It was a ...scandal. b)The... nation soon replaced the leader. 14. I like to study sea life. The subject of marine biology fascinates me. a) I'm ... by marine biology, b) Marine biology is a... subject.
II. Choose the correct form (-ing or-ed) of the words in brackets.
1. Don't bother to read that book. It's (boring, bored). 2. The students are (interesting, interested) in learning more about the subject. 3. Mrs Green doesn't explain things well. The students are (confusing, confused). 4. Have you heard the latest news? It's really (exciting, excited). 5.1 don't understand these directions. I'm (confusing, confused). 6. I read an (interesting, interested) article in the newspaper this morning. 7.1 heard some (surprising, surprised) news on the radio. 8. I'm (boring, bored). Let's do something. How about going to a movie? 9. Mr Sawyer bores me. I think he is a (boring, bored) person. 10. Mr Ball fascinates me. I think he is a (fascinating, fascinated) person. 11. Most young children are (fascinating, fascinated) by animals. 12. Young children think that animals are (fascinating, fascinated). 13.1 was very (embarrassing, embarrassed) yesterday when I spilled my drink on the dinner table. 14. That was an (embarrassing, embarrassed) experience. 15.1 read a (shocking, shocked) report
yesterday on the number of children who die from starvation in the world every day. I was really (shocking, shocked). 16. The children went to a circus. For them, the circus was (exciting, excited). The (exciting, excited) children jumped up and down.
III. Complete the sentences with the present or past participle of the verbs in brackets.
1. The (steal) car was found in the woods. 2. Success in one's work is a (satisfy) experience. 3. The tiger was a (terrify) sight for the villagers. 4. The (terrify) villagers ran for their lives. 5.1 found myself in an (embarrass) situation last night. 6. A kid accidentally threw a ball at one of the school windows. Someone needs to repair the (break) window. 7. A (damage) earthquake occurred recently. 8. People are still in the process of repairing the many (damage) buildings and streets. 9. I elbowed my way through the (crowd) room. 10. No one lives in that (desert) house except a few ghosts. 11. The thief tried to open the (lock) cabinet. 12. The (injure) woman was put into an ambulance. 13.1 bought some (freeze) vegetables at the supermarket. 14. The (expect) event did not occur. 15. A (grow) child needs a (balance) diet. 16. There is an old saying: Let (sleep) dogs lie. 17. At present, the (lead) candidate in the senatorial race is Henry Moore. 18. Any (think) person knows that smoking is a destructive habit. 19.1 still have five more (require) courses to take. 20. (Pollute) water is not safe for drinking. 21.1 don't have any furniture of my own. Do you know where I can rent a (furnish) apartment? 22. No one may attend the lecture except (invite) guests. 23. The (suggest) remedy for the common cold is to rest and to drink plenty of fluids. 24. Because we have a (write) agreement, our landlord won't be able to raise our rent for two years. 25. (Experience) travellers pack lightly. They carry little more than necessities.
IV. Change the adjective clauses to adjective phrases.
eg Do you know the woman who is coming toward us?
Do you know the woman coming toward us? eg I come from a city that is located in the southern part of the
country.
I come from a city located in the southern part of the
country.
1. The man who is talking to John is from Korea. 2. The ideas which are presented in that book are interesting. 3. Anyone who wants to come with us is welcome. 4. The people who are waiting for the bus in the rain are getting wet. 5. The children who attend that school receive a good education. 6. The scientists who are researching the causes of cancer are making progress. 7. The fence which surrounds our house is made of wood. 8. They live in a house that was built in 1890. 9. We have an apartment which overlooks the park. 10. Did you get the message which concerned the special meeting? 11. Be sure to follow the instructions that are given at the top of the page. 12. The conclusion which is presented in that book states that most of the automobiles which are produced by American industry have some defect. 13. The photographs which were published in the newspaper were extraordinary. 14. There is almost no end to the problems that face a head of state. 15. The psychologists who study the nature of sleep have made important discoveries. 16. The experiment which was conducted at the University of Chicago was successful. 17. David Keller, who is a young poet who is known for his sensitive interpretations of human relationships, has just published another volume of poems. 18. Any student who doesn't want to go on the trip should inform the office. 19. He read "The Old Man and the Sea", a novel which was written by Ernest Hemingway. 20. My uncle Elias, who is a restaurant owner, often buys fish and shellfish from boats that are docked at the local pier. Customers come from miles around to dine on a seafood feast that is considered to be the best in all of the northeastern United States. 21. The children attended a special movie program that consisted of cartoons that featured Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.
V. Complete the newspaper story about an earthquake in a city called Kitamo. Put in either an -ing form or an -edform. Use these verbs: break, burn, cry, damage, fall, frighten, injure, smoke.(You have to use one of the verbs twice.)
There was an earthquake in the Kitamo region at ten o'clock yesterday morning. It lasted about a minute. Many buildings collapsed.... people ran into the streets. Many were injured by... bricks and stones. After the earthquake, buildings in many parts
of the city caught fire. The heat was so great that firemen could not get near many of the ... buildings. Hundreds of people have died. The hospital is still standing, but there aren't enough beds for all the ... people. Things look very bad in Kitamo now. There are hundreds of badly ... houses, and those that caught fire are now just ... ruins. The streets are covered with ... glass, and ... trees block the way. Everywhere there is the sound of... children.