Miriam
I'm boring! Are you interesting?
There are a lot of language partner requests where the poster claims to be boring and tells people to message them if they are interesting. I always wondered why an interesting person would bother writing a boring one and what kind of strange self-marketing that was but in fact it's just a common mistake and the learner wanted to express that they are bored and anyone who was interested should write them a message.
to be boring = not interesting
to be bored = to be unhappy because one has nothing to do or something is boring
-> I'm bored, because I have to stay at home all day. Most of the discussions here are boring.
interesting = exciting, unusual
to be interested = wanting to give your attention to something or discover more about it
-> I'm interested in doing a language exchange. We could talk about an interesting topic.
Do you know of other examples where such similar words are mixed-up by learners?
Mar 17, 2020 7:22 PM
Comments · 6
2
You should ask these writers exactly what it is they are boring and why they are boring.
Boring into or boring for?.
Boring for oil?
Boring into a coal seam.
Although I am not a qualified teacher - it makes sense to me to introduce different alternative definitions of a word to students whenever the opportunity presents itself!
March 17, 2020
2
The problem is that the writers are using adjectives in the wrong way.
In English, many adjectives come from verb participles.
A participle is a word that is made from a verb and usually ends in -ING or -ED.
There are two types of participles: the present participle, which ends in –ING, and the past participle, which ends in -ED.
Adjectives that end with -ed describe a person’s feelings/how one person or more than one person feels.
Adjectives that end with -ing talk about a person, a thing or a situation that causes one's feelings.
I enjoyed that movie.
The movie was boring… (so/therefore/thus/hence I felt bored).
I was shocked by the shocking news.
Miriam's posts are always interesting, so I am always interested to read them.
And that ends today's lesson... :)
March 17, 2020
1
People who are usually bored are usually boring too.
March 18, 2020
1
If only I were interesting. They say people are unique, but I beg to differ.
I have skin. You have skin.
I have feet. You have feet.
I have fingers. You have fingers.
I have eyes. You have eyes.
I have thoughts. You have thoughts.
I have hair. You have hair.
I have clothes. You have clothes.
I have nostrils. You have nostrils.
I have happy moments. You have happy moments.
I have regrets. You have regrets.
I have too much time on my hands. You have too much time on your hands.
I'm boring. You said you're boring.
See? We are exactly alike. We're twins from different parents.
March 18, 2020
1
You are write thanks for correcting sush well spread mistake
March 17, 2020
Show more
Miriam
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), French, German
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin)
Articles You May Also Like
Navigating Global Business: The Power of Business English, Cultural Sensitivity, and Career Advancement Strategies
4 likes · 0 Comments
10 Strategies to Keep Young Learners Involved in Your italki Classes
44 likes · 21 Comments
What Books Should You Read to Improve Your English?
161 likes · 29 Comments
More articles
