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Prof.

Mrs El Idrissi

Stative Verbs
List of Stative Verbs

 adore  loathe
 agree  look (seem)
 appear (seem)  love
 appreciate  matter
 be (exist)  mean
 believe  measure
 belong to  mind
 concern  need
 consist of  owe
 contain  own
 cost  possess
 deny  promise
 depend on  realize
 deserve  recognize
 detest  remember
 disagree  resemble
 dislike  satisfy
 doubt  see
 equal  seem
 feel  smell
 hate  sound
 have (possession)  suppose
 hear  surprise
 imagine  taste
 include  think (opinion)
 involve  understand
 know  want
 lack  weigh
 like

Special Cases: Sense Verbs


Most of the verbs for the senses – see, smell, taste, feel, look — can be used as both a state verb and an action verb
because they each have two different meanings. Let’s look at some examples :
I feel sick. (This is a state verb that means ‘I am sick / I think I am sick.’ There is no action here).
I am feeling the top of the desk. (This is an action verb that means ‘I am using my hands to touch the desk to see
how it feels.’ This is an action.)
This smells bad. (= State verb that means ‘this has a bad smell ‘– there is no action here.)
I am smelling the flower. (= Action verb that means ‘I am sucking in air through my nose to get the smell of the
flower.’)
This tastes salty. (= State verb that means ‘it has a salty taste.’)
I am tasting the strawberry. (= Action verb that means ‘I am using my mouth and tongue to learn how something
tastes.’)
Can you see the difference? It is obvious when you look at an example like The cake tastes delicious. If ‘taste’ were
an action, that would mean that the cake (the subject of the sentence) would be tasting something! (That would
be impossible!) People taste cakes (which is an action). When we say ‘the cake tastes delicious’, the verb taste is a
state verb that describes the cake.

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Another Case: The Verb ‘Think’

The verb think has a state meaning and an action meaning as well. Let’s look at two examples.
 I think blue is a nice colour. (State verb: I believe blue is nice / In my opinion, blue is nice.)
 I am thinking of the answer. (Action verb: I am using my brain to try to find the answer.)
So, think is a state verb when we use it to give an opinion, but it is an action verb when we describe our brain in
action.
There are a few other exceptions as well, such as idioms with the verb have. When have means to possess
something, e.g. I have a pen, we can never use the verb in an ~ing (progressive form). But there are some idioms
with have that are actions. For example:
 She’s having a baby. (to have a baby = to give birth)
 I’m having a party/picnic tomorrow. (to have a party/picnic = to host a party/picnic)
 We’re having trouble. (to have trouble = to do something with difficulty)
 I’m having fun / I’m having a good time.. (to have fun / have a good time= to enjoy yourself)

Complete each sentence using the stative verb from the parenthesis:
1. Do you _________ the answer? (depend on, know, include)
2. Jim _________ dessert every day. (has, eats, possesses)
3. I _________ good about the race’s outcome. (am, were, feel)
4. She _________ her mother. (imagines, resembles, walks with)
5. Do you _________ they will win? (think, involve, promise)
6. They really _________ everything you did for them. (include, appreciate, dislike)
7. I think the teacher was _________ with my speech. (involved, measured, satisfied)
8. Can you _________ the coffee brewing? (feel, smell, dislike)
9. I still _________ a lot of money on my student loans. (deserve, owe, involve)
10. You _________ more shoes than anyone else I know! (dislike, suppose, have)

Choose the present simple or present continuous (these verbs are sometimes stative):
1. She _____________ (have) a bath every evening.
2. My husband _____________ (always / taste) the food while I’m cooking! It’s very annoying.
3. A: Where’s Luke? B: He _____________ (see) the doctor now.
4. I _____________ (not / think) that’s a good idea.
5. He _____________ (have) a party at the weekend.
6. This coffee _____________ (not / taste) right.
7. We _____________ (see) John and Susie next weekend.
8. What _____________ (you / think) about the war in Iraq?
9. She _____________ (have) a headache.
10. It _____________ (be) cold today.
11. They _____________ (not / have) a car.
12. I _____________ (not / see) anything, I can’t work the telescope.
13. The waiter _____________ (taste) the wine now.
14. She _____________ (not / be) a doctor.
15. A: What _____________ (that child / do)? B: He _____________ (be) silly.
16. _____________ (you / be) hungry? _____________ (you / want) a sandwich?
17. A: What _____________ (you / do)? B: I _____________ (think) about my ex-boyfriend.
18. I _____________ (have) fun today!
19. I _____________ (see) Julie every Tuesday.
20. I _____________ (have) an idea!
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