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[upthera44.livejournal.com]

This is a question I've had lingering in the back of my mind for quite a while now. Can someone explain the use of instrumental case with adjectives in the past tense? If you say Я шокираванный in the present tense, you ought to say Я был шокированным in the past? In conversation I've heard native speakers say "когда я был маленьким" but also "когда я был маленький".

And short-form adjectives do not decline, so я шокирован remains Я был шокирован in the past, no? Also, is it bad form to say Я шокированный instead of я шокирован or is this pretty much interchangable with the short-form adjective?