Course on Stative Verbs - TOEIC® Preparation

In English, stative verbs describe a state, a feeling, a perception, an opinion, or even a sentiment. They indicate something static, meaning that it does not involve action or active change.

• I love this song.
  The verb "love" describes a feeling, thus a state.

Main Characteristics

• They are not conjugated in the progressive form (be + verb-ing)
  Generally, these verbs are not used in the progressive (continuous) form, like am loving, are knowing, etc.

  • ✅ I know the answer.
    ❌ I am knowing the answer.

• There is no clear distinction of beginning or end
  The state described is often considered a general and lasting state, rather than a punctual action.

• They express permanence
  Stative verbs often indicate something permanent or continuous (at the moment of speaking).

Main Categories of Stative Verbs

There are several subcategories of stative verbs.

1. Perception Verbs : see, hear, smell, taste, etc.
2. Emotion or Feeling Verbs : love, hate, adore, detest, etc.
3. Thought, Belief, Opinion Verbs : believe, think, remember, understand, etc.
4. Possession Verbs : have, own, belong, contain, etc.
5. Description or Appearance Verbs : seem, appear, etc.
6. State of Being Verbs : be, exist, etc.

Complete List of Stative Verbs

Exceptions and Dual-Use Verbs (Stative/Dynamic)

Some verbs can be stative in one sense and dynamic (action) in another sense. In this case, they can be used in the progressive form when they describe an action.

Verb "think"

• Think in the sense of opinion → stative form
  • I think she is right.
• Think in the sense of reflecting → dynamic form
  • I am thinking about what you said.

Verb "have"

• Have in the sense of possess → stative form
  • I have a car.
• Have in the sense of experience → dynamic form
  • I am having lunch.
  • We are having a great time.

Verb "see"

• See in the sense of perceive, see involuntarily → stative form
  • I see a bird in the tree.
• See in the sense of meet, consult, visit → dynamic form
  • I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.

Verb "taste / smell / feel"

• Taste / smell / feel in the sense of perception, feeling → stative form
  • The soup tastes good.
  • The flower smells nice.
  • This fabric feels soft.
• Taste / smell / feel in the sense of action of testing, sniffing, touching → dynamic form
  • She is tasting the soup to check the seasoning.
  • He is smelling the roses.
  • I am feeling the texture of the cloth.

Verb "be"

• Be to talk about a permanent or stable temporary state → stative form
  • He is very kind.
• Be + adjective to talk about a punctual, non-habitual behavior → dynamic form
  • He is being rude.

Conclusion

Stative verbs must be mastered to excel in the TOEIC®. It is essential to identify these verbs to avoid mistakenly using the progressive form.
However, some verbs (like think, have, feel, etc.) can change meaning depending on whether they describe a state or an action, and they can then be used in the progressive form.

We have written other articles on grammar for the TOEIC®, you can check them out here:

• 🔗 Dynamic Verbs