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Jill's High Int class

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Some more advanced explanations and exercises

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Stative verbs (or state verbs) are a relatively small group of verbs which describe states rather than actions, and so are in contrast to dynamic (or action verbs), which form the vast majority of verbs.

Stative verbs tend to be connected with existence, thoughts, emotions, the senses and possession. They often describe states which last for quite a long time. The most common is the verb be.

The most important thing to remember about stative verbs is that they are not normally used in continuous (progressive) tenses, which are usually used to describe actions or change. However quite a few verbs can be both stative and dynamic, and some stative verbs can even occasionally be used in continuous tenses, so we need to be able to distinguish how they are being used.

Dynamic, stative or both?

Exercise 1 - Use your instinct and what you already know. Try these verbs in a continuous tense and see if they sound OK. If so, they are probably dynamic (action) verbs. If not, they're likely to be stative verbs. But see if you can also see which could be both (there are eight of them here).

Verbs which can be both stative and dynamic

As we saw in that last exercise, some verbs can be both stative and dynamic. In the next section we will look at six of them. But before that, try this exercise.

Exercise 2 - Use your instinct. Tick (check) the sentences which look OK. For those that don't, leave the boxes empty.

stative - possession

She has a new house and a new job.

They have three children.

He always has great ideas.

dynamic - actions

She's having lunch with her mother.

They're having a party at the weekend.

She's having a baby soon.

dynamic - meet somebody, have a relationship, have a mental problem

I'll be seeing her tomorrow. Shall I give her a message?

They've been seeing each other for about a year now.

Pink elephants? You must be seeing things!

stative - want something
I wish it was the weekend

dynamic - make a wish
Blow all the candles out. What are you wishing for?

Verbs of the senses and appearance

Many of these verbs can be used as stative or dynamic verbs.

Exercise 3 - use one verb for each group of two or three sentences. Use a suitable simple or continuous tense. In each group there is at least one in a simple tense and at least one in a continuous tense. For this exercise, don't use contractions.

Can and keep with verbs of the senses

To talk about things you see etc at a given moment, we use can/could with a bare infinitive, rather than a continuous tense. We can do this with see, hear, taste, smell, remember, understand

I could hear somebody singing next door. NOT I was hearing ...

I can understand how you feel. NOT I am understanding ...

We can use keep + -ing form to talk about repeated events

I keep seeing this strange bird in the garden.

I keep remembering what she said.

As you know, we can use used to to talk about past states and habits.

In the past, I didn't use to have a car. (state)

I used to walk to work every day. (habit)

She always used to bring us presents. (habit)

We can also use would to talk about past habits and repeated actions, but we can't use it to talk about past states. So we don't use would in this way with stative verbs.

In the past, I wouldn't have a car. (state)

I would walk to work every day. (habit / repeated action)

She would always bring us presents. (habit / repeated action)

Remember you don't have to use these constructions if they confuse you; you can always use past simple. But it would be good to at least master used to, and be aware that native speakers will often use would. Would is particularly useful to vary the text a bit when you are writing -

I used to live quite near my office, so every day I would walk to work.

I used to live in a small town. (state)

Every day I would walk to work. (habit)

She used to work in a factory. (state)

Every day she would take a packed lunch to work with her. (habit)

These two verbs, live and work, are not usually listed as stative verbs, but they can be used to describe states.

He lives in Manchester. He's lived there all his life. (a permanent state)

She's living with her parents until she can find a new flat. (temporary situation)

He works as an engineer. (permanent state)

I don't think he's working today. (action now)

When they describe more temporary situations they act like dynamic verbs, and we tend to use a continuous tense.

But when they describe permanent or long-lasting states, they act like stative verbs and we use a simple tense.

They can go with used to to talk about the past, but not would.

He used to live in Cardiff, but now he lives in Bristol.

He would live in Cardiff, but now he lives in Bristol.

She used to work in an office, but now she works from home.

She would work in an office, but now she works from home.

live and work in the present perfect

Stative verbs are often used in present perfect simple, especially with a period of time. We don't normally use them in present perfect continuous.

I've thought that for a long time.

Have you been there long.

I've seen this film before.

But work and live are rather special: we can use them in both simple and continuous forms with very little change in meaning.

She's lived here / been living here all her life.

He's worked / been working there for twenty years.

The use of the continuous perhaps stresses the length of time, but apart from that there is very little difference.

So live and work are rather special verbs. They can sometimes be used perfect continuous tenses, even when describing long lasting states, but they can't be use with would to describe past states.

Other expressions with similar meanings sometimes behave in a similar meaning, for example - make a living

These verbs are normally dynamic, but can also be use to describe states, especially connected with geographical location, in which case they are not normally used in continuous tenses.

He's standing over there.
The house stands in its own parkland

She was sitting reading when the doorbell rang.
The village sits in a valley at the foot of the mountains.

I think he's lying down at the moment.
The pass lies between two high mountains.

Macdonald's advertising slogan has been critised by some grammar purists as being 'bad grammar'. The verb love is certainly a stative verb and isn't usually used in a continous tense. But if you check Macmillans Dictionary you'll see that it gives three main uses for the verb love

1. to be very strongly attracted to someone in an emotional and sexual way

2. to care very much about someone, especially members of your family or close friends

3. to like or enjoy something very much

Now while it says that progressive (continuous) tenses are never used with the first two meanings, it makes no such rule about the third. Indeed it gives an example sentence:

I've been retired for a year now and I'm loving every minute of it.

And that sentence sounds absolutely natural. In fact we do sometimes use stative verbs in continuous tenses when we are talking about experiences which last a limited period of time, especially in present and present perfect.

How are you liking your new job?

I've been wanting to do that for ages.

You must have been hearing things.

I've been noticing lately how more and more people are cycling to work.

This use of loving is unusual enough for the Macdonalds campaign to have got a bit of extra pubicity due to its use of language, but not so unusual that it sounded impossible to most of us. It is 'edgy' but not beyond the limits.

There's a good discussion of I'm lovin it at GrammarGirl (link below).

Exercise 4 - Use one verb for each pair of sentences, once in a simple tense, once in a continous tense.

Where there is ittle difference between simple and continuous

There is a small group of verbs used to describe temporary states which we can use in simple or continuous tenses with very little difference in meaning:

ache, feel, hurt, look (=appear)

My back aches / My back's really aching

How do you feel today? / How are you feeling today?

She looks really good in that dress / She's looking really good today

We tend to use continuous when we are talking about a particular moment, and simple when we are talking more generally, but there is very little difference.

A note on performative verbs

This is a small group of verbs where by saying the verb you perform the action described in that verb. For example, the act of saying - I promise you - means I am making that promise. And if I say - I predict it will rain - I am making that prediction. These verbs include:

accept, acknowledge, advise, apologise, assume, deny, guarantee, hope, inform, predict, promise, recommend, suggest, suppose, warn

These are not stative verbs and can be used in continuous tenses when we are describing what somebody is doing - Don't go on about it so much, can't you see he's apologising? But when we use them as a declaration - I apologise for what I said, we usually use a simple tense rather than a continuous one.

Afterthought - another edgy advertising campaign

The fuss over the Macdonald's slogan reminds me of the story of another, earlier controversial slogan:

Winston tastes good like a cigarette should

Nowadays that use of like as a conjunction instead of as is not quite so controversial, at least in informal conversation, although a lot of people still don't like it. But at the time it caused a furore. In 1955 the tobacco company took over the sponsorship of Walter Cronkite's news show. Cronkite was perhaps the most famous American broadcast journalist ever, and often cited as "the most trusted man in America" (Wikipedia). He was so annoyed by this 'misuse' of like that he refused to read the slogan out on air. It's another example of a slogan that used language that was non-standard enough to draw the wrath of the purists, while being mainstream enough not to offend the majority.

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Stative verbs (or state verbs) are a relatively small group of verbs which describe states rather than actions, and so are in contrast to dynamic (or action verbs), which form the vast majority of verbs. Stative verbs tend to be connected with existence, thoughts, emotions, the senses and possession.

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How to Act at a Funeral. Funerals generally take place a couple days after the viewing or the wake.http://thefuneralsource.org/trad01.html#service Whether you are attending a funeral for the first time, or haven't been to one in years,...

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When you are invited to a wedding, remember that they are a great place to socialize, network and meet women, so good behavior is paramount. Many men are unsure of how to be a classy guest so, whether or not you are actually the best man, follow these wedding etiquette tips.

before the wedding

Invitations

Respond promptly
Return the reply card right away to indicate whether or not you will attend. Those organizing the wedding need to know the total head count to order the food and plan the seating arrangements. If you're invited to the ceremony and the reception, attend both. It's a sign of respect. If you have a serious conflict in your schedule that will keep you from one, explain that on your reply card.

Guests must not bring (uninvited) guests
The general rule is if you are married or living with someone, your date's name will be written on the invitation or it will have "Mr. [your name] and Guest." If it shows your name only, don't bring along a date. Do not RSVP for your children unless their names are on the invitation.

Cancel only for urgent reasons
Getting a more interesting offer doesn't count, but if your plans change - for valid reasons - and you're no longer able to attend the wedding, advise the couple in writing at least two weeks in advance. Otherwise, unless there's a death in your family, you should show up.

Never invite yourself
Don't assume you're invited, particularly with colleagues. Don't ask for an invitation or comment that yours must have been lost in the mail. Weddings can be expensive, and the wedding couple and their families may not be able to include everyone, so don't take it personally.

Wedding gifts

Choose wisely
Don't give a gift that you want yourself or that only your buddy would like. Give something that will be appreciated by both the bride and the groom. Consider teaming up with a couple of friends to buy a bigger gift than each of you would give individually.

Be generous
Determining the value of your gift can be a challenge. The rule of thumb is to give the equivalent of the cost of your meal, so if you're attending as a couple, double the amount. Cash or a check is a standard gift among many cultures, as is something from the gift registry.

Send a gift
Ask in advance if it's customary to bring your gift to the reception or send it to the bride before the wedding. The latter is usually preferable, as it reduces the possibility of gifts disappearing during the festivities. Be sure to include a card with your full name. They might know two men called Bob or Harold.

Give, no matter what
If you returned your reply card saying you're unable to attend, you must still send a gift to honor the occasion. If you're only invited for the dance or open bar (if there is one) after the dinner, you should still give a gift.

Discover how you should dress for the wedding...

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When you are invited to a wedding, remember that they are a great place to socialize, network and meet women, so good behavior is paramount. Many men are unsure of how to be a classy guest so, whether or not you are actually the best man, follow these wedding etiquette tips.

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MODALS

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Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs

We can use have to + infinitive, must + infinitive and should + infinitive to express obligation (something you have to do).

have to /
don't have to

strong obligation (possibly from outside)

Children have to go to school.

(sometimes 'have got to')
no obligation

I don't have to work on Sundays.

You don't have to eat anything you don't like.

must / mustn't

strong obligation (possibly based on the speaker's opinion)

I must study today.

negative obligation

You mustn't smoke here.

should / shouldn't

mild obligation or advice

You should save some money.

mild negative obligation or advice

You shouldn't smoke so much.

Be careful about the difference between mustn't and don't have to!
Mustn't means it's not allowed, or it's a bad idea:

You mustn't eat so much chocolate, you'll be sick
Don't have to means you don't need to do something, but it's fine if you want to do it:
I don't have to get up early at the weekend(of course, if I want to get up early, that's fine, but I can stay in bed if I want).

had to / didn't have to

obligation in the past

I had to wear a school uniform when I was a child.

no obligation in the past

We didn't have to go to school on Saturdays.

should have + pp / shouldn't have + pp

a past action which didn't happen: the advice / regret is too late

You should have gone to bed earlier, now you have missed the train.

a past action which didn't happen: the advice / regret is too late

You shouldn't have taken that job., it was a bad idea.

* Remember 'must have done' is a modal verb of deduction or speculation, not obligation in the past. For example: Julie must have left. Her coat's not here. See modals of probabilty for more information.

Would you like more practice? Get a new grammar lesson every day, a new listening lesson every week, lots of extra lessons and personal help from me by email? Click here for more information.

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Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs We can use have to + infinitive, must + infinitive and should + infinitive to express obligation (something you have to do). have to / don't have to strong obligation (possibly from outside) Children have to go to school.

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Cambridge online dictionary

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Thesaurus.com

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How to use stative (state) and dynamic verbs

Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous, or the future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones:

Stative (or State) Verb List

A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.
Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

Be

be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting'

you are stupid = it's part of your personality

you are being stupid = only now, not usually

Think

think (stative) = have an opinion
I think that coffee is great

think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head
what are you thinking about? I'm thinking about my next holiday

Have

have (stative) = own
I have a car

have (dynamic) = part of an expression
I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break

See

see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand
I see what you mean
I see her now, she's just coming along the road

see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with
I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years
I'm seeing Robert tomorrow

Taste

taste (stative) = has a certain taste
This soup tastes great
The coffee tastes really bitter

taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting
The chef is tasting the soup

('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')

Try this exercise about stative and dynamic verbs

Need more practice? Get more Perfect English Grammar with our courses.

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Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous, or the future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones: Stative (or State) Verb List A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.

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try writing sentences with the vocabulary to consolidate your understanding

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Hotel of Mum and Dad

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Series 1, Hotel of Mum and Dad - BBC Three

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Series about young couples living with their parents or in-laws.