Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs

 

🏊🧜Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs

We can divide English verbs into two categories: stative verbs and dynamic verbs.

📙Dynamic verbs

Dynamic verbs are ‘action’ verbs. They refer to:

📗activities (things we physically do): play, walk, speak, wash, wait, listen, etc.

📗things that happen (processes):  grow, change, die, melt, etc.

📗We use dynamic verbs in both the simple and continuous (‘ing’) forms, depending on context:

1. We play every day. / We are playing now.

2. I worked all day yesterday. / I have been working since this morning.

3. Trees grow every year. / The trees are growing now.

4. The weather changes every day. / The weather is changing now.

📚Stative verbs

Stative verbs do NOT refer to a physical action; they express a state or condition (things which are permanent; things which don’t have a beginning or end). Stative verbs usually are not used in continuous/ progressive tenses like present, past or future continuous tense. 

💢List of stative verbs:

adore - I adore misty mornings.

agree - He agrees with her thoughts on the novel.

appear - She appears to be lost.

appreciate - I appreciate your understanding.

astonish - The magician astonished the crowd.

be - Who are you supposed to be?

believe - Do you believe in life after love?

belong - You don't belong to this world.

concern - This conversation doesn't concern you.

consist - The protein shake consists of raw eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

contain - This box contains all my bowling trophies.

cost - Giving that up doesn’t cost you a thing.

deny - How can you deny your love for him?

depend - We're depending on you.

deserve - You don’t deserve this token.

detest - I detest my brother.

disagree - Do you disagree with me?

dislike - He dislikes his sister.

doubt - I doubt we'll hear from him again.

equal - Correlation does not equal causation.

feel - I feel dead inside.

fit - Can you fit this appointment into your schedule?

hate - I hate sleeping in late.

have - We have a problem.

hear - Can you hear the whip-poor-will calling?

imagine - Imagine no possessions; it's easy if you try.

impress - You've impressed us all with your talent.

include - Her hatred of eating contests includes hot dogs and pizza.

involve - Eating contests involve open-mouthed chewing.

know - I know what you said.

lack - If any of you lacks anything, ask for it.

like - I like to shop for purses.

loathe - I loathe a scratchy sweater.

look - He looks fat on TV.

love - I love books.

matter - Nothing else matters.

mean - What do you mean?

mind - I don’t mind if you don’t mind.

need - I don't need my TV.

owe - Her brother owes her an apology.

own - We own this house.

please - You can’t please him.

possess - The dark witch possesses her soul.

prefer - I prefer vanilla over chocolate.

promise - I promise I’m not lying.

realize - Do you realize the damage you’ve done?

recognize - I didn't recognize you with that beard.

remember - You don't remember me, but we've met previously.

resemble - That bird resembles a raven.

satisfy - Snickers satisfies.

see - I see clearly over the horizon.

seem - She seems nervous.

smell - The beach smells terrible at low tide.

sound - It sounds great!

suppose - I suppose you’re right.

surprise - He surprised me with tickets to New York.

taste - The food tastes delicious.

think - I think she's the best singer.

understand - I don't understand.

want - I want to live forever.

weigh - He weighs 150 pounds.

wish - I wish for more time.

✏️Some examples of stative verbs are: like, love, believe, know, understand, have (when it means to own), prefer, hate.

✏️We do NOT normally use stative verbs in the continuous (‘ing’) form:

1. I’m liking cheese×. I like cheese. √

2. He’s believing in God×. He believes in God.√

3. She’s been knowing me for 5 years.× She’s known me for 5 years.√

4. He’s having 3 brothers×. He has 3 brothers.√

5. I’m understanding×. I understand√.

! So remember: if the verb is stative, always use it in its simple form, not continuous!

🌟When a verb can be both stative and dynamic

Be careful – some verbs have more than one meaning. The verb might be stative in one meaning and dynamic when it used in another meaning. Here are two examples:

1.  have

– When have means possess or own it is stative and so is NOT used in the continuous form:

📘He has a new car√.  He is having a new car×.

📘He had 2 sons√. He was having 2 sons×

– However, when have is part of a phrase (have a shower, have lunch) it is dynamic and so can be used in the continuous form, depending on context:

📙I have lunch every day. / I’m having lunch now.

📙I had a shower this morning. / I was having a shower when you called.

🙄2. think

– When think means have an opinion it is stative and so is NOT used in the continuous form:

📘He thinks she’s beautiful√. 

📘 He is thinking she’s beautiful.×

📘I think we’ll win the game√.

📘 I am thinking we’ll win the game.×

– However, when think refers to the process of the brain (considering, concentrating on) it is dynamic and we can use it in a simple or continuous form, as necessary:

📗He always thinks carefully before he speaks. / What are you thinking about?

📗I always think about my first love. / I’m thinking of going to live in Australia.

🤭Famous exception: ‘i’m lovin’ it’ at McDonald’s

You’ve no doubt seen and heard the McDonald’s slogan ‘i’m lovin’ it’.

Shouldn't it just be 'I love it'? 'Love' is a stative verb, isn't it?

On one hand this slogan is ungrammatical: love is a stative verb so they should say ‘I love it’ (the slogan should also start with a capital letter, of course).

On the other hand, we could understand the verb love here as meaning enjoy, and in that case ‘I’m loving it’ is perfectly acceptable,  i.e. I’m enjoying my french fries and milkshake.

But McDonald’s probably didn’t care much about the grammar; they chose it for its marketing strength  – ‘i’m lovin’ it’ has more bite and impact than the simple ‘I love it’!

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