Grammar
Stative verbs: when English verbs do not take -ing
You want to say that a red bag belongs to you. My red bag is belonging to me sounds strange because belong describes a relationship, not an action in progress.
Choose the simple or continuous form by deciding whether a verb describes a state, an action, or a temporary situation.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
stative verb /ˈsteɪtɪv vɜːb/
The short answer
Use the simple present with stative verbs such as know, need, belong, and understand when they describe a state. Use the present continuous when a verb describes an action happening around now. Some verbs can use either form, but the meaning changes.
I understand the instructions now.
Why it works: Understand describes a state of knowledge, so the simple present is natural.
3 more examples
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Maya knows the answer to the first question.
Know describes information that Maya has, so the simple present describes the state.
Not this:Maya
is learningthe answer to the first question. What changes: Learning is an activity in progress, so the continuous form shows that the process is happening now. -
This coat belongs to my cousin.
Belong names ownership or a relationship. It does not normally describe an action in progress.
Not this:My cousin
is carryingthis coat home. What changes: Carrying is a physical action with a duration, so the continuous form is natural. -
I think this route is shorter.
Here think means have an opinion, so the simple form states that opinion.
Not this:I
am thinkingabout a different route. What changes: Here thinking means considering an idea. The continuous form shows a mental activity in progress.
Read the full guide
First ask what the verb means in this sentence. If it names a state that you have, feel, know, or own, choose the simple form. If it names an action or a changing situation, the continuous form may fit.
Start with the meaning of the verb
A verb can tell us about an action or about a state. An action has a visible process or a clear period of activity. A state tells us what someone knows, owns, wants, believes, or senses. This difference helps you choose a tense.
Nora wants a quieter place to work.
Want describes Nora's present wish. It does not describe an action that she is performing, so wants is the usual form.
Does own describe an action that happens step by step, or a relationship with something?
Own describes a relationship with something. Say They own a small shop, not They are owning a small shop.
Use the simple present for common states
Verbs of knowledge, opinion, feeling, possession, and relationship often describe states. In their usual meanings, use the simple present for a state that is true now. Common examples include know, remember, agree, like, need, prefer, belong, and seem.
We need two more chairs for the meeting.
The new schedule seems practical.
Need names a present requirement, and seem gives an impression. Neither sentence presents the verb as an activity in progress.
Which form fits an opinion: I believe the email is correct or I am believing the email is correct?
Use I believe the email is correct. Believe normally describes an opinion, so the simple form fits.
Use the continuous for actions and temporary activity
The present continuous is useful when an action is happening now or around now. Verbs such as work, study, travel, wait, and look usually describe actions, so they can take be plus -ing when the timing matters.
The team is preparing the room for the workshop.
I am looking for my keys.
Preparing and looking are processes. They may stop and start, but they are activities taking place around the present moment.
Compare I look tired with I am looking for my keys. In the first sentence, look gives an appearance. In the second, look means search, which is an action.
Notice verbs whose meaning changes
A few common verbs can describe either a state or an action. The grammar changes because the meaning changes. Have, think, see, taste, smell, and look are useful verbs to check carefully.
I have a meeting at three.
Have names a planned event in this sentence. By contrast, We are having a meeting now describes an activity in progress.
The soup tastes too salty.
Taste describes the soup's quality here. In The cook is tasting the soup, taste means trying food, which is an action.
What does see mean in I see your point and in I am seeing the dentist tomorrow?
I see your point means understand, which is a state. I am seeing the dentist means have an appointment, which is a planned activity.
Check the whole sentence before you choose
When you are unsure, ask a plain question: is this sentence about a condition, or about something happening? Then look for the meaning that fits the object and the situation. A familiar verb can have more than one meaning.
The flowers smell fresh after the rain.
Smell describes a quality of the flowers. Say I am smelling the flowers when a person is deliberately using their nose.
Keep the sentence simple when you are learning the pattern. After that, notice how context changes the meaning of a verb you already know.
Which question should you ask before adding -ing to a verb?
Ask whether the verb describes a state or an activity in this sentence. The answer guides the tense choice.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the simple present for a state: I need help, she owns the flat, and they understand the rule. Use the continuous for an action or a temporary activity: I am looking for help, she is renting a flat, and they are studying the rule. When a verb can do both jobs, read the meaning before choosing the form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Stative verbs: when English verbs do not take -ing"
What is a stative verb?
A stative verb describes a condition rather than an action. It can express knowledge, opinion, feeling, possession, or a relationship. In Maya knows the answer, knows describes information she has.
Maya knows the answer to the first question.
Which verbs usually do not take -ing?
Verbs such as know, believe, need, prefer, belong, own, understand, and seem usually use a simple form when they keep their usual state meaning. This coat belongs to my cousin is a normal example.
Maya is learning the answer to the first question.
Can think be a stative verb?
Yes. Think is stative when it means have an opinion, as in I think this route is shorter. It can use the continuous when it means considering something, as in I am thinking about a different route.
This coat belongs to my cousin.
Why can have use the continuous form?
Have has more than one meaning. It is usually simple for possession, but it can be continuous when it describes an activity. We are having a meeting now describes an activity, while I have a meeting at three names an arrangement.
My cousin is carrying this coat home.
Can taste and smell be stative verbs?
They can describe a quality, so a simple form is common: The soup tastes too salty and The flowers smell fresh. They can also describe a deliberate action, as in The cook is tasting the soup.
I think this route is shorter.
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