Business English Lesson - Grammar - How to Use Stative Verbs
When you are learning English, it is important to understand the different types of verbs and how to use them correctly. In this blog post, we will be discussing stative verbs.
Keep reading to learn more about stative verbs and how to use them!
Be careful how you use a small group of common verbs (e.g. believe, belong to, hate, know, like/dislike, love, mean, need, prefer, seem, surprise, want, wish).
These are known as stative verbs.
There are two groups of stative verbs:
1. verbs in the first group (e.g. believe or belong to) are never used in the present continuos tense.
I believe in the importance of good customer care (not am believing)
WhatsApp now belongs to Facebook. (not is belonging)
2. verbs in the second group (e.g. see) change their meaning when they are used in the present continuous as compared with the present simple tense.
Compare the following sentences:
What do you think of the new Sales Manager? (= what is your opinion)
We are thinking of building a new factory in Malaysia. (= considering)
You must see her resume. It’s excellent. (= have a look at)
There are four people on the short list. We’re seeing them all tomorrow. (= meeting/interviewing)
What is a Stative Verb?
A stative verb is a verb that describes a state or condition rather than an action.
Some examples of stative verbs are "be," "have," "seem," and "feel."
These verbs are not used in the progressive tense because they describe unchanging states or conditions.
For example, you would say "I am happy" instead of "I am being happy."
When to Use Stative Verbs
Stative verbs are usually used to describe thoughts, emotions, opinions, relationships, and sensory experiences.
Here are some examples:
- I feel sick.
- I have a cold.
- I believe you.
- I doubt that she knows the answer.
- This steak tastes delicious!
- The color blue looks pretty on you.
- The sound of rain makes me feel calm.
As you can see, these sentences are all describing states or conditions rather than actions.
Exception: some stative verbs can be used in progressive tenses IF the speaker is emphasizing the process of change.
For example:
- My feelings are changing towards you.
- I am starting to doubt your story.
- My opinion on this matter is evolving.
Notice that in each of these examples, the speaker is emphasizing that their state or condition is in flux; it is not permanent yet.
If the speaker wanted to emphasize that their state was permanent, they would use the present simple instead of the present progressive.
For example:
My feelings towards you are negative/positive/neutral/indifferent (permanent). vs. My feelings towards you are changing (not permanent).
Now that you know a little bit more about stative verbs, try incorporating them into your next English conversation!
Remember that they are used to describe states or conditions rather than actions, so keep that in mind when choosing which verb tense to use.
