Turning a noun into an adjective

Question

In many grammar descriptions, it says that adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe a feeling (or how a person feels) or an emotion. It is used to describe a temporary thing.

With an adjective like "rented", is this a different type of adjective? Or is this just an exception to the rule?

Here are some of the grammar explanations that state this: https://www.grammar.cl/Notes/Adjectives_ED_ING.htm

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/beginner-to-pre-intermediate/adjectives-ending-in-ed-and-ing

Hmm. I just drove my recently washed car to the renovated restaurant to get some baked chicken and fried rice. I had a faded photograph in the pocket of my mended shirt. … … … … … … … … Can you cite (i.e., identify by name and link) one or two of the “many grammar descriptions” that state this ‘rule’? … … … … … … … … Please do not respond in comments; [edit] your question to make it clearer and more complete. — Scott - Слава Україні, Oct 06 '20 at 01:51
So "painted", "killed", "printed", "smoked", "measured", et al are all describing temporary feelings or emotions. — Hot Licks, Oct 06 '20 at 01:53
In, for example, "a rented car", "rented" is a verb, not an adjective. — BillJ, Oct 06 '20 at 07:46
Does this answer your question? What's the difference between an adjective and a past participle? See also verb or adjective in “The blue page is stapled to the red page”? — Ryan M, Oct 06 '20 at 08:11
@RyanM The first link is useless. It doesn't even begin to address the question of why only a few ed words are adjectives. — BillJ, Oct 06 '20 at 08:14
@BillJ It explains this particular class ("rented," etc.) of -ed words. Specifically, it addresses the question "With an adjective like "rented", is this a different type of adjective?" You're right that it doesn't touch on all such words, but it's far from "useless." Perhaps it's not a 100% match, but it at least elaborates on this class of words, and it goes a bit deeper into the part-of-speech issue that you discuss in your answer. I think it's at least relevant, even if it's not close enough for a duplicate. — Ryan M, Oct 06 '20 at 08:20
@RyanM How can it address the question "With an adjective like "rented ...", when "rented" isn't even an adjective in the first place? — BillJ, Oct 06 '20 at 08:27
@BillJ The top answers to both address this exact point: "The participle (present and past) can be used as an adjective in many cases, in exactly the same way other adjectives would be used." "The word "stapled" is either a past-participle form of a verb in a passive-voice construction... or the word could be ambiguous (where both possibilities of verb and adjective are acceptable)." The latter is less relevant to this non–passive voice example, which is why I listed it as "see also." — Ryan M, Oct 06 '20 at 08:38
It doesn't give the tests for adjectivehood, which are crucial to dealing with the OP's concern that "rented" seems to be a "different type of adjective". You seem determined to confuse the OP. — BillJ, Oct 06 '20 at 08:38
In any case, you’re missing the point. The OP asked if “tested” is an exception to the "rule" that ed adjectives describe a feeling (or how a person feels) or an emotion. But it isn't an 'exception' at all because it's not an adjective but a verb, as the tests prove. That’s why the tests are so important. Btw, we're talking specifically about ed adjectives/verbs here, though the same would apply to the contrast between ing verbs and ing adjectives, e.g. "The Smiths are entertaining (ing verb) the neighbours this evening" vs "The Smiths are a very entertaining (ing adj) couple". — BillJ, Oct 06 '20 at 14:28

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 06 '20 at 07:39

a rented house

a confused/bored child

Your mistake is in assuming that "rented" is an adjective here. It isn't; it's a verb. Compare "rented" to "confused" and "bored"

[1] "Rented" can't be modified by "very", but "confused/bored" can: we can say "a very confused/bored child", but not *"a very rented car".

[2] "Rented" can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": we can say "The child became quite bored/confused", but not *"The house became quite rented".

[3] "Rented" can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": we can say "I found the child quite bored/confused", but not *"I found the house quite rented".

The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Confused" and "bored" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but "rented" doesn't and hence is analysed as a verb phrase in an example like "a rented car".

Turning a noun into an adjective

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