Perceiver and perceived in English

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"I was boring at the party." Why is this funny?

In English, a word may describe how the speaker is perceived by others, or the impression that others have of the speaker, but not both.

Contents

[edit] Mechanics

[edit] Endings

In English, words that describe our impression of something outside of us often end in -ed, and words that describe the impression we make on other people often end in -ing.

Perceived Perceiver
The party was boring. I was bored at the party.
Ghosts are scary. I am scared of ghosts.
Roller coasters are exciting. I am excited.
This job is challenging. I am challenged by this job.

[edit] Other examples

Other words follow no particular pattern in their spelling.

  • That test is hard. I am hard.
  • My job is stressful. I am stressful.

[edit] Quiz

1. That is a - explanation.

confusing
confused

2. When I go to a concert I am - .

exciting
excited

3. Yesterday I was very - when I saw the news.

interested
interesting

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