Stative Verbs - notes
States of "being"
* are conditions or situations that exist
* do not involve actions
* are followed by adjectives
* cannot be progressive.
Stative verbs do not use the progressive form.
| Stative Verbs - "States of Being" vs. Active Verbs | |
| Some verbs may have both stative and active forms, but with different meanings. | |
| The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive. | The verbs below are "active verbs" and are often confused with the verbs on the left. (These verbs can take the progressive verb form.)
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| Alberto is happy. |
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| *Alberto looks tired. (Albert = tired) | Alberto is looking at you. |
| Alberto seems upset. (Albert = upset) |
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| Alberto appears pleased. (Albert = pleased) | Alberto Benigni is appearing on stage tonight. |
| Alberto resembles his father. (Albert = father) |
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| Alberto becomes excited when he wins. | That suit is becoming on you. "is becoming" = looks good |
| Alberto gets angry easily not: Alberto is getting angry easily | You are getting better each day. |
| Alberto acts strange. (Albert = strange) | Robert DeNiro is acting in this movie. |
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| *Nowadays, it's common to hear "He's looking good.", "You're looking well.", "The situation was looking bad." in which speakers use the progressive form for the passive state of "look". (Also, see 'feel' and 'like'.)
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| Stative Verbs - Senses | |
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The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive. |
The verbs below are "active verbs" and are often confused with the verbs on the left. (These verbs can take the progressive verb form.) |
| I hear what you are saying. | I am listening to what you are saying. |
| I see the picture. | I am looking at the picture |
| Your cello sounds good. (*cello = good) | The active verb "to sound" means "to ring". |
| This food tastes spicy (*food = spicy) | The active verb "to taste" means "to sample". |
| **I feel sick. (*I =sick) | The active verb "to feel" means "to touch". |
| *"is/are" can be subsituted for these verbs. |
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| ** Nowadays, it's common to hear "How are you feeling about living away from home. ", "Is he feeling comfortable with the situation." in which speakers use the progressive form for the passive state of "feel". (Also, see 'lookl' and 'like'.)
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| Stative Verbs - Mental Activity & Attitudes | |
| The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive. |
The verbs below are "active verbs" and are often confused with the verbs on the left. (These verbs can take the progressive verb form.) |
| He knows what he needs to do. |
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| He believes he is right. |
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| He thinks (that) he can win. | He is thinking about winning. |
| He understands the problem. |
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| He recognizes the difficulties. |
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| He remembers everything that happened. |
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| He wants to graduate from college. |
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| They need help to finish. |
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| He loves her. not: He is loving her. |
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| He hates living in the city. |
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| He appreciates what you have done. |
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| He likes attending school. not: He is liking school. |
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| *I feel (that) the "death sentence" is wrong. | *"feel" = "think" in this usage |
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| Stative Verbs - Possession | |
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The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive.
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These expressions with "have" may be progressive. |
| Heather has a new car. | We are having fun! (a good time, a blast) |
| That new car belongs to Heather. | We are having a drink. (a picnic) |
| Heather has a new car. | We are having dinner. (lunch, breakfast) |
| Heather possesses a car. | We are having trouble. (difficulty) |
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| We are having a baby. (a child) |
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| He's having a bad time. (a bad dream, a bad day) |
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| He's having a party. (a test, an exam, a review) |
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| Stative Verbs - Emotions |
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The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive. |
| The prices of homes surprise everyone. |
| The Golden Gate impresses most visitors. |
| The ending of that movie surprises everyone who sees it. |
| The number of hungry people in the world astonishes me. |
| My magic tricks amaze young children. |
| Stative Verbs - Measures | |
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The verbs below are "states of being" and cannot be progressive. . |
The verbs below are "active verbs" and are often confused with the verbs on the left. (These verbs can take the progressive verb form.) |
| The Golden Gate Bridge measures 8,981 feet long. | The tailor is measuring the gentleman for his new suit. |
| The Golden Gate towers reaches 746 feet into the air. | The baby is reaching for his toy. |
| The Golden Gate Bridge costs two dollars the cross. | (none) |
| The Eiffel Tower weighs 6,400 metric tons. | The grocer is weighing the apples on a scale. |
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