-ed words:
* Past tense verbs: "He walked to the store." (walked is past tense of walk)
* Past participles used as adjectives: "The broken window needs repair." (broken describes the window)
* Adjectives formed from verbs: "The tired child slept soundly." (tired describes the child)
-ing words:
* Present participles (verbs): "The dog is barking." (barking is the action)
* Gerunds (nouns): "Swimming is my favorite activity." (swimming is the activity)
* Present participles used as adjectives: "The running water filled the bucket." (running describes the water)
Here's a breakdown:
Action verbs:
* -ed: walked, jumped, danced, painted, played, etc.
* -ing: walking, jumping, dancing, painting, playing, etc.
Non-action verbs:
* -ed: broken, finished, interested, tired, etc.
* -ing: swimming, running, reading, writing, sleeping, etc.
To determine if a word is an action verb, ask yourself:
* Does the word describe an action?
* Does the word tell you what the subject is doing?
If the answer to both questions is yes, then it's likely an action verb.