Stative Verbs, Action Verbs, and Verbs that can be both
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Action Verbs
Action verbs (or dynamic verbs) are verbs that describe actions. We can use them in the simple or continuous forms. Here are a few examples of action verbs:
WALK
Every day I walk home from class.
I‘m walking to the store right now.
READ
I read mostly historical fiction.
I‘ve been reading a novel that takes place during colonial times.
HELP
My sister helps me with my homework.
My father is helping me learn how to drive.
WATCH
Bob watches four hours of TV every night.
Last night, he got angry at me because I changed the channel while he was watching his favorite show.
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs (or state verbs) describe a status or quality of something… NOT an action. Verbs of perception, opinion, the senses, emotion, possession, and state of being are often stative verbs.
Here are some examples:
STATIVE VERBS OF OPINION / PERCEPTION:
know, believe, understand, recognize, prefer, agree/disagree, approve/disapprove, suppose, suspect
STATIVE VERBS OF POSSESSION:
have, own, belong, possess, include, owe
STATIVE VERBS OF THE SENSES:
hear, smell, see, feel, appear, seem, resemble
STATIVE VERBS OF EMOTION:
love, hate, like, want, need, desire, wish
STATIVE VERBS OF STATES/QUALITIES:
weigh, contain, consist, measure, cost, exist, depend, deserve, involve, matter
Verbs That Can Be Both Dynamic And Stative Verbs
Some verbs can function as BOTH action verbs and stative verbs!
Here are some examples:
BE
Stative:
He is immature. (he is always immature)
Action:
He is being immature. (he is temporarily acting immature)
HAVE
Stative: possession
I have a car. He has a dog.
Action: expressions with “have”
I’m having breakfast (eating breakfast).
He’s having fun (experiencing fun).
SEE
Stative: perception with your eyes; understanding
I see some birds.
I see what you mean.
Action: meet; have a relationship with
I’ll be seeing the doctor tomorrow.
They’ve been seeing each other for a month.
LOOK
Stative: appearance
That cake looks delicious!
Action: directing your eyes to something; phrasal verbs
He’s looking at the computer screen.
She’s looking for (= seeking) a job.
They’re looking after (= taking care of) my dog for the weekend.
SMELL / TASTE
Stative: the quality of smell or taste possessed by something
The bar smells of smoke.
This meat tastes like chicken.
Action: when a person uses their nose or mouth to test something
He’s smelling the cookies.
She’s tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt.
THINK / FEEL
Stative: when talking about your opinion
I think that’s a great idea!
I feel that this is not the best use of our time.
Action: when using your mind, or experiencing emotions or health issues
We’re thinking about moving to another city.
I’ve been feeling unusually tired lately.
WEIGH / MEASURE
Stative: when talking about the quality possessed by something
The suitcase weighs 20 pounds.
The surfboard measures 2 meters by 55 centimeters.
Action: when a person performs the action of weighing/measuring something
The butcher is weighing the meat on the scale.
The architects were measuring the distance between the pillars.
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