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(un)expected vs. (un)surprising

.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;

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1

There's a rule put forth in our textbook for language learners:

• We use '-ed' adjectives to describe how people feel.




• We use '-ing' adjectives to describe how something or someone makes people feel.

e.g. The film is very touching. All of us are touched.

However, I'm not sure how to explain why the adjective 'unexpected' doesn't fit the pattern above when a synonym -- 'surprising' -- does.

• That was surprising.




• That was unexpected.

I suppose a surprising thing makes people feel surprised, but an unexpected thing doesn't make people feel unexpected.

My hang-up is that I don't want to frame this as merely an exception to a rule when it very well may not be.

How can we explain this? Do we classify these two adjectives differently? Is it simply an exception to a flawed "rule"?

word-choice adjectives

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 1:58

Oiohwah

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If you are learning English, you may find our sister site English Language Learners more suited to your needs.
  
  – TrevorD
  Mar 26 at 1:03
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Well, it's not just a one-off exception: that rule is fundamentally flawed. It's more difficult, but more accurate to give a rule that relates the use of -ed vs. -ing to whether the modified noun would be used as the subject or object of the related verb.
  
  – sumelic
  Mar 26 at 1:24
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Some related questions: What is the grammatical difference behind “is interesting” and “is interested”?, Is this the correct explanation of the difference between “excited” and “exciting”, “bored” and “boring”, etc?, Repeated vs Repeating
  
  – sumelic
  Mar 26 at 1:28
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TrevorD thanks, I did look at that because my students are learners. My assessment was that this question was more suited to the English usage site just judging from the nature of the questions on both site, along with the fact that I'm a native user.
  
  – Oiohwah
  Mar 26 at 1:51
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @sumelic I suppose you're right about the rule being flawed. As you mention in that other post, there's unintended, unexpected, unsuspected. Are there any other commonalities these words that would explain why they break from this pattern?
  
  – Oiohwah
  Mar 26 at 2:20
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 7 more comments

0

1

There's a rule put forth in our textbook for language learners:

• We use '-ed' adjectives to describe how people feel.




• We use '-ing' adjectives to describe how something or someone makes people feel.

e.g. The film is very touching. All of us are touched.

However, I'm not sure how to explain why the adjective 'unexpected' doesn't fit the pattern above when a synonym -- 'surprising' -- does.

• That was surprising.




• That was unexpected.

I suppose a surprising thing makes people feel surprised, but an unexpected thing doesn't make people feel unexpected.

My hang-up is that I don't want to frame this as merely an exception to a rule when it very well may not be.

How can we explain this? Do we classify these two adjectives differently? Is it simply an exception to a flawed "rule"?

word-choice adjectives

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 1:58

Oiohwah

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If you are learning English, you may find our sister site English Language Learners more suited to your needs.
  
  – TrevorD
  Mar 26 at 1:03
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Well, it's not just a one-off exception: that rule is fundamentally flawed. It's more difficult, but more accurate to give a rule that relates the use of -ed vs. -ing to whether the modified noun would be used as the subject or object of the related verb.
  
  – sumelic
  Mar 26 at 1:24
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Some related questions: What is the grammatical difference behind “is interesting” and “is interested”?, Is this the correct explanation of the difference between “excited” and “exciting”, “bored” and “boring”, etc?, Repeated vs Repeating
  
  – sumelic
  Mar 26 at 1:28
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @TrevorD thanks, I did look at that because my students are learners. My assessment was that this question was more suited to the English usage site just judging from the nature of the questions on both site, along with the fact that I'm a native user.
  
  – Oiohwah
  Mar 26 at 1:51
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @sumelic I suppose you're right about the rule being flawed. As you mention in that other post, there's unintended, unexpected, unsuspected. Are there any other commonalities these words that would explain why they break from this pattern?
  
  – Oiohwah
  Mar 26 at 2:20
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 7 more comments

There's a rule put forth in our textbook for language learners:

• We use '-ed' adjectives to describe how people feel.




• We use '-ing' adjectives to describe how something or someone makes people feel.

e.g. The film is very touching. All of us are touched.

However, I'm not sure how to explain why the adjective 'unexpected' doesn't fit the pattern above when a synonym -- 'surprising' -- does.

• That was surprising.




• That was unexpected.

I suppose a surprising thing makes people feel surprised, but an unexpected thing doesn't make people feel unexpected.

My hang-up is that I don't want to frame this as merely an exception to a rule when it very well may not be.

How can we explain this? Do we classify these two adjectives differently? Is it simply an exception to a flawed "rule"?

word-choice adjectives

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 1:58

Oiohwah

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 1:58

Oiohwah

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 1:58

Oiohwah

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43

asked Mar 26 at 0:43

OiohwahOiohwah

43