你是否覺得很難分辨exhausted、exhausting、exhaustive三個形容詞的不同處？
exhausted →adj.極其疲憊的；精疲力竭的
exhausting →adj.使人筋疲力竭的；使人疲憊不堪exhaustive →adj.詳盡的；深挖細究的
你可以嘗試用英英代換，釐清這三個字的不同處：
exhausted = tired （兩個字同為ed結尾）→adj.極其疲憊的；精疲力竭的
exhausting = tiring（兩個字同為ing結尾）→adj.使人筋疲力竭的；使人疲憊不堪
exhaustive = comprehensive （兩個字同為ive結尾）→adj.詳盡的；深挖細究的
或者你可以從exhaust這個生字，理解其三個形容詞的不同處。
exhaust = use up = ex/out＋haust/ to drain漸漸枯竭；消耗→耗盡（資源）→v.使(人)精疲力盡
exhausting →adj.使人筋疲力竭的；使人疲憊不堪的
exhausted →adj.極其疲憊的；精疲力竭的
exhaust = ex/out＋haust/ to draw汲取→v.詳盡研究；詳盡論述
exhaustive →adj.詳盡的；深挖細究的
當TOEFL（托福）IELTS（雅思）考生熟悉exhaust、exhausted、exhausting、exhaustive四個生字不同處後，就可以理解下面IELTS（雅思）官方考題的閱讀測驗文章句意。
Collecting ants can be as simple as picking up stray ones and placing them in a glass jar, or as complicated as completing an exhaustive詳盡的；深挖細究的survey of all species present in an area and estimating their relative abundance.
考題出處：Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 4 Reading Passage 3, UK：Cambridge University Press, 2011.
