“I am frustration!” a classmate announced as he walked into the room and tossed his books on the table.
He was a native English speaker—and he knew exactly what he was doing. His expression was a joke, playing with English in a way that used intentional grammar misuse for humor.
This kind of joke can be confusing for English learners. After all, if native speakers break grammar rules on purpose, how do you know what’s right? Today, I want to help you learn the rules—so you can eventually break them properly, just like my classmate did.
Why Are Adjective Pairs So Tricky?
Adjectives in English often come in pairs that look very similar, like:
- Frustrated / Frustrating / Frustration
- Confused / Confusing
- Bored / Boring
These pairs can be hard to use correctly because they share the same root (like frustrate) but use different suffixes (like -ed, -ing, -tion). Let’s break down how these suffixes work—and how to avoid calling yourself “annoying” by mistake.
Suffix Guide: -tion, -ed, and -ing
-tion = Noun (The thing itself)
This suffix turns a verb into a noun.
- Frustrate → Frustration
“Frustration” is the thing you feel when something is stopping you.
So when my classmate said “I am frustration,” he was jokingly claiming that he was the feeling itself. It’s incorrect—but also funny.
More examples:
- Educate → Education
“The proper use of English should be part of every student’s education.” - Imagine → Imagination
“My imagination isn’t strong enough to picture that… but I’ll try!”
-ed = Feeling (Your reaction)
This suffix shows how you feel about something.
- “I am frustrated.” = You are experiencing frustration.
More examples:
- “I am annoyed.” = You feel annoyed.
- “I am bored.” = You feel bored.
- “I am confused.” = You don’t understand something.
-ing = Cause (The thing making people feel a certain way)
This suffix describes the thing or person causing a feeling.
- “I am frustrating.” = You are making others feel frustrated (possibly including yourself).
This is where things get tricky—and sometimes embarrassing. Let’s compare some commonly confused pairs:
Common Mistakes (That Accidentally Insult You)
| Feeling (correct) | Cause (can be insulting) |
|---|---|
| “I am annoyed.” | “I am annoying.” (You are the problem). |
| “I am bored.” | “I am boring.” (You are uninteresting). |
| “I am confused.” | “I am confusing.” (Others don’t understand you). |
| “I am amazed.” | “I am amazing.” (Sounds confident—maybe too confident?) |
| “I am excited.” | “I am exciting.” (You’re saying others are thrilled to see you). |
Quick Quiz: Test Yourself!
Choose the correct form in each sentence. (Answers below.)
- I am ______ (overwhelmed / overwhelming) by this ______ (overwhelmed / overwhelming) situation.
- He is ______ (annoyed / annoying). I can’t stand him.
- We’re going to the amusement park. I’m so ______ (excited / exciting)!
- There’s a stranger outside my house. I am ______ (frightened / frightening).
Answers:
- Overwhelmed, overwhelming
- Annoying
- Excited
- Frightened (Although if you were frightening, you might scare the stranger off!)
Final Thoughts: Break the Rules (When You’re Ready)
Understanding suffixes helps you avoid accidental insults and use English more clearly. Sure, you can call yourself “boring”—but unless it’s part of a joke, a sincere apology, or a self-aware moment of humor, it’s probably not what you mean.
And hey—when you do feel confident, don’t be afraid to say, “I’m amazing!”
(Especially if you just finished this blog post without calling yourself annoying.)
HS ESL 
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