Analyzing the Sentence and Options

The question asks us to choose the most appropriate word to fill the blank in the sentence: "It was a ______ experience. Everybody was shocked." We need an adjective that describes the noun "experience" and explains why "Everybody was shocked."

Understanding the Context

The second part of the sentence, "Everybody was shocked," tells us about the effect of the experience on people. This implies that the experience itself was something that caused a strong reaction, specifically shock. We need an adjective that describes the quality of the experience that led to this shock.

Evaluating Each Option for Appropriateness

Let's look at each option and see how it fits in the blank:

1. terrified: This word describes a feeling of intense fear. It is used to describe *how a person feels* (e.g., "I was terrified"). It does not typically describe an *experience*. An experience can *make* you feel terrified, but the experience itself is not usually described as "terrified".
2. horrified: Similar to "terrified", this word describes a feeling of shock, horror, or disgust. It is also used to describe *how a person feels* (e.g., "They were horrified"). It does not typically describe an *experience* directly in this way. An experience can *make* you feel horrified.
3. terrifying: This word describes something that *causes terror* or frightens people greatly. Adjectives ending in '-ing' often describe the characteristic of the thing that causes a feeling (e.g., an "interesting book" makes you feel interested; a "boring lecture" makes you feel bored; a "terrifying experience" makes you feel terrified). This word perfectly fits the context, describing an experience that would cause shock and terror in people.
4. denouncing: This word means to publicly condemn or criticize someone or something. It is usually used as a verb or a present participle. It has no relation to the kind of experience that would cause widespread shock in the sense implied by the sentence.

Comparing 'ed' and 'ing' Adjectives

This question highlights the difference between adjectives ending in '-ed' and those ending in '-ing'.

• Adjectives ending in -ed (like 'terrified', 'horrified') usually describe a feeling or emotion. They tell us how someone *feels*.
• Adjectives ending in -ing (like 'terrifying', 'shocking') usually describe the thing or person that *causes* the feeling or emotion. They tell us about the characteristic of something.

In the sentence, we are describing the *experience* itself, which *caused* the shock. Therefore, we need an adjective that describes the characteristic of the experience, which is that it was something that caused terror or shock. "Terrifying" fits this role.

Conclusion

The word "terrifying" is the most appropriate choice because it accurately describes an experience that would cause people to be shocked. The completed sentence would be: "It was a terrifying experience. Everybody was shocked."

Revision Table: Understanding -ed and -ing Adjectives

Additional Information: Adjectives Describing Experiences

When describing an experience, we often use adjectives that convey its nature or the effect it had on people. Common adjectives used to describe experiences include:

• Positive: amazing, wonderful, exciting, unforgettable, pleasant, enjoyable
• Negative: terrible, awful, frightening, shocking, disturbing, unpleasant, traumatic, terrifying, horrible
• Neutral/Other: interesting, unusual, strange, common, unique, challenging

The word "terrifying" fits into the category of negative adjectives used to describe experiences that cause strong negative emotions like fear and shock.