Adjective Phrases

Adjective phrases give information about a noun without using a full adjective clause.

They often come from reduced relative clauses.

-ing Phrases

Use an -ing phrase when the noun does the action.

Full clause	Reduced phrase
The woman who is talking to Tom is my teacher.	The woman talking to Tom is my teacher.
Students who live on campus can apply.	Students living on campus can apply.

-ed Phrases

Use an -ed or past participle phrase when the noun receives the action.

Full clause	Reduced phrase
The boy who was injured in the accident is recovering.	The boy injured in the accident is recovering.
The emails that were sent yesterday bounced.	The emails sent yesterday bounced.

Adjectives Ending In -ing And -ed

Use -ing adjectives for the thing that causes a feeling. Use -ed adjectives for the person who feels it.

-ing	-ed
The movie was boring.	I was bored.
The news was surprising.	We were surprised.
The class is interesting.	The students are interested.

Common Mistakes

Avoid	Use
The man talked to Sara is my boss.	The man talking to Sara is my boss.
The window broken yesterday.	The window was broken yesterday.
I am interesting in music.	I am interested in music.

Practice

1 / 11

The woman ___ near the door is my manager.

AstandBstandedCto standDstanding

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Summary

Use -ing adjective phrases when the noun does the action, and -ed or past participle phrases when the noun receives the action. For feelings, -ing describes the cause and -ed describes the person who feels it.