The little boy isn't getting on well in math and worse still, he often fights with other studen

The little boy isn't getting on well in math and worse still, he often fights with other students. With her son ________, she feels very ________. A. disappointing; worrying B. disappointed; worried C. disappointing; worried D. disappointed; worrying

To solve this question, we need to understand the difference between -ing adjectives and -ed adjectives. -ing adjectives (e.g., disappointing, worrying) describe the cause of a feeling, while -ed adjectives (e.g., disappointed, worried) describe the person experiencing the feeling.

The first blank describes the boy ("her son") as the cause of disappointment, so we use the -ing form: disappointing. The second blank describes the mother's emotional state, so we use the -ed form: worried.

Answer: C. disappointing; worried

This distinction helps clarify who/what is causing the emotion versus who is experiencing it. Can you think of another pair of -ing/-ed adjectives that follows the same logic? (e.g., "surprising/surprised" or "confusing/confused")