State Verbs

State Verbs

1. General description

Most verbs in English are dynamic. They can describe habits or actions in progress. Dynamic verbs have simple and continuous forms.

Habit: I often travel abroad.

Action in progress: I am watching television at the moment.

State has no beginning or end, they describe states, not actions.

Some verbs are always stative: belong, want

Some verbs can have state or dynamic uses: weigh/weighing

2. Feelings and perceptions

Feelings: Like, love, prefer, hate, dislike, care, hope, admit

Perception: Feel, hear, notice, see, smell, sound, taste

We normally use these verbs in the simple tenses:

Do you see that woman in the park?

I love cats.

We often use can with see, hear , smell and taste:

I can smell something (at the moment)

Can you hear the music?

3. Wants

Wants and needs: want, need, wish, depend on, weigh, come from, cost

I wish you good luck.

The room needs cleaning.

She wants to sleep.

4. Existence and possession

Existence: be, exist

Possession: belong to, own, owe, have, possess

Appearance: appear, seem, resemble, look

She is tall.

Who does this pen belong to?

It appears to be difficult.

5. Thinking and believing

Knowledge: forget, realise, understand, know, remember

Opinion: believe, doubt, imagine, suppose, think, expect, agree, mean, deserve

If we want to say “have an opinion”, we can use think:

I think he is a nice person.

Other examples:

She doesn’t understand your words.

I know Peter well.

I doubt he would like your idea

6. Compositions and connections

Compositions: consist of, contain, have

Connection: come from, concern, cost, fit, suit

The presentation consists of five parts.

Maggie comes from Canada.

My friend has a Ferrari.

7. Change in meaning

Some verbs can have a dynamic or state form with a change in meaning.