Collins Cobuild English Grammar

…pleasantly furnished rooms.

…a well-known novelist.

2.86    Some -ed adjectives are not often used on their own, and an adverb is necessary to complete the sense. You do not usually talk about dressed people, but you can say that they are well dressed or smartly dressed for example. The -ed adjectives in the following examples nearly always have an adverb in front of them.

…a cautiously worded statement.

…impeccably dressed men.

It was a richly deserved honour.

…superbly cut clothes.

…the existence of a highly developed national press.

…a well organized campaign.

…a tall, powerfully built man.

She gazed down at his perfectly formed little face.

Note that combinations like this are sometimes hyphenated, making them compound adjectives.

…a well-equipped army.

-ed adjectives with an active meaning

2.87    A few -ed adjectives are related to the -ed participle of intransitive verbs and have an active meaning, not a passive meaning. For example, a fallen tree is a tree that has fallen.

…a capsized ship.

She is the daughter of a retired army officer.

…an escaped prisoner.

Here is a list of -ed adjectives with an active meaning:

accumulated

dated

escaped

faded

fallen

retired

swollen

wilted

-ed adjectives after linking verbs

2.88    Most -ed adjectives can be used both in front of a noun and after a linking verb.

The worried authorities decided to play safe. My husband was worried.

A small number of -ed adjectives are normally only used after a linking verb. Often, they are followed by a preposition, a to-infinitive, or a that-clause.

I was thrilled by the exhibition.

The Brazilians are pleased with the results.

…food destined for areas of south Sudan.

He was always prepared to account for his actions.

Here is a list of -ed adjectives often used after a linking verb, with or without a phrase or clause after them:

convinced

delighted

interested

intimidated

intrigued

involved

pleased

prepared

scared

thrilled

tired

touched

Here is a list of -ed adjectives normally used after a linking verb with a phrase or clause after them:

agreed

destined

dressed

finished

lost

prepared

shut

stuck

BE CREATIVE

2.89    The -ed participle of almost any transitive verb can be used as an adjective, though some are more commonly used than others.

…she said, with a forced smile.

There was one paid tutor and three volunteer tutors.

The recovered animals will be released.

…the final corrected version.

BE CREATIVE

2.90    Some -ed adjectives are formed from nouns. For example, if a living thing has wings, you can describe it as winged. If someone has skills, you can describe them as skilled.

…winged angels.

…a skilled engineer.

She was dressed in black and carried a black beaded purse.

…armoured cars.

…the education of gifted children.

-ed adjectives formed from nouns

2.91    Here is a list of -ed adjectives formed from nouns:

armoured

barbed

beaded

bearded

detailed

flowered

freckled

gifted

gloved

hooded

mannered

pointed

principled

salaried

skilled

spotted

striped

turbaned

walled

winged

-ed adjectives formed from nouns are commonly used as the second part of compound adjectives (see paragraph 2.94 to 2.102) such as grey-haired and open-minded.

-ed adjectives unrelated to verbs or nouns

2.92    There are also some -ed adjectives in regular use that are not related to verbs or nouns in the ways described above. For example, there are no words parch or belove. There is a noun concert, but the adjective concerted does not mean having a concert.

He climbed up the dry parched grass to the terrace steps.

…a complex and antiquated system of taxation.

…attempts to mount a concerted campaign.

…the purchase of expensive sophisticated equipment.

2.93    Here is a list of -ed adjectives that are not related to verbs or nouns:

antiquated

ashamed

assorted

beloved

bloated

concerted

crazed

deceased

doomed

indebted

parched

rugged

sophisticated

tinned

Compound adjectives

2.94    Compound adjectives are made up of two or more words, usually written with hyphens between them. They may be qualitative, classifying, or colour adjectives.

I was in a light-hearted mood.

She was dressed in a bottle-green party dress.

…the built-up urban mass of the city.

…an air-conditioned restaurant.

…a good-looking girl.

…one-way traffic.

…a part-time job.

formation patterns

2.95    These are the most common and least restricted patterns for forming compound adjectives:

adjective or number plus noun plus -ed, e.g. grey-haired and one-sided

adjective or adverb plus -ed participle, e.g. low-paid and well-behaved