Exploring -ed/-ing Adjectives in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This article explores the use of -ed/-ing adjectives in The Great Gatsby, their rules and purposes.
What Are -ed/-ing Adjectives?
Examples from The Great Gatsby
Excited / Exciting
Bored / Boring
Fascinated / Fascinating
Disappointed / Disappointing
Annoyed / Annoying
Overwhelmed / Overwhelming
Amazed / Amazing
Interested / Interesting
Terrified / Terrifying
Conclusion
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is renowned for its vivid imagery and emotional depth. One of the tools Fitzgerald masterfully employs is the use of -ed/-ing adjectives. These paired adjectives—such as excited/exciting or fascinated/fascinating—convey emotions and experiences in nuanced ways, adding richness to his descriptions of characters, settings, and events.
What Are -ed/-ing Adjectives?
-ed/-ing adjectives are pairs of adjectives that describe emotions and characteristics, but they have different uses depending on the context. Here’s how they work:
What Do They Mean?
- -ed adjectives: Describe how a person feels. These adjectives reflect an emotional or physical state caused by something or someone else.
- Example: She was excited about the party. (Her emotional state.)
- -ing adjectives: Describe the source or cause of a feeling. These adjectives explain what is making someone feel a certain way.
- Example: The party was exciting. (The event that caused excitement.)
Rules to Differentiate Them:
- -ing adjectives are used to describe the thing, situation, or person that causes the feeling.
- Ask: What is causing the feeling?
- Example: The story was fascinating. (The story causes fascination.)
- -ed adjectives are used to describe feelings or reactions of people (or sometimes animals).
- Ask: Who is feeling this way?
- Example: He was fascinated by the story. (The person feels fascination.)
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses these adjectives to enrich the narrative, conveying the characters’ emotional journeys and the atmosphere of the world they inhabit.
Examples from The Great Gatsby
Excited / Exciting
Excited - describes how someone feels when they are thrilled or enthusiastic.
Exciting - describes something that causes excitement in others.
Bored / Boring
Bored - describes how someone feels when they are uninterested or tired of something.
Boring - describes something that causes boredom or lack of interest.
Mr. McKee only found this conversation quite boring and turned his attention to Tom.
Fascinated / Fascinating
Fascinated - expresses someone’s feeling of intense interest or captivation.
Fascinating - describes something that grabs attention or deeply interests others.
Gatsby finds Daisy so fascinating that he can only stand still and gaze around.
Disappointed / Disappointing
Disappointed - describes a feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction when expectations are unmet.
Disappointing - describes something that fails to meet expectations or causes dissatisfaction.
The whole situation was disappointing to Mr. Wolfshiem.
Annoyed / Annoying
Annoyed
The adjective annoyed describes someone who feels irritated or bothered.
Annoying - describes something or someone that causes irritation.
The need to go and address “this matter” was more annoying than interesting to me.
Overwhelmed / Overwhelming
Overwhelmed - expresses a state of being emotionally or physically overpowered.
Overwhelming - describes something that feels overpowering or too intense to handle.
Amazed / Amazing
Amazed - describes a feeling of wonder or astonishment.
Amazing - refers to something that inspires awe or wonder in others.
Interested / Interesting
Interested - describes someone who feels curiosity or attraction to something.
Interesting - describes something that captures attention or curiosity.
Terrified / Terrifying
Terrified - expresses a person’s intense feeling of fear.
Terrifying - describes something that causes intense fear in others.
The intense scene between Gatsby and Daisy's husband was terrifying.
To practice using these adjectives, click here
Conclusion
-ed/-ing adjectives are pairs of descriptive words that convey emotions and their causes. -ed adjectives describe how someone feels (e.g., amazed), while -ing adjectives explain what causes those feelings (e.g., amazing). Through examples from The Great Gatsby, we’ve learned to differentiate them by asking: Who feels this way? for -ed adjectives, and What causes this feeling? for -ing adjectives. Fitzgerald’s use of these adjectives adds emotional depth and vividness to his storytelling, enriching our understanding of his characters and their world. This insight not only enhances our appreciation of the novel but also strengthens our own descriptive language skills.
