Stative verbs UP

I don't know the answer. I'm not knowing the answer. She really likes you. She's really liking you. He seems happy at the moment. He's seeming happy at the moment.

Stative verbs describe a state rather than an action. They aren't usually used in the present continuous form.

• possession and measurement: belong, have, measure, own, possess, weigh.

• senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste

• feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish

• thoughts and opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognise, remember, suspect, think, understand

Stative verbs often relate to:

I think it's a good idea.Wait a moment! I'm thinking.

A number of verbs can refer to states or actions, depending on the context.

Verbs that are sometimes stative

Do you see any problems with that? (state – opinion)We're seeing Ted tomorrow afternoon. (action – we're meeting him)

see

He's so interesting! (state – his permanent quality)He's being very unhelpful. (action – he is temporarily behaving this way)

be

This coffee tastes delicious. (state – our perception of the coffee)Look! The chef is tasting the soup. (action – tasting the soup is an activity)

taste

Other verbs like this include: agree, appear, doubt, feel, guess, hear, imagine, look, me