Guide to Stative Verbs – TOEIC® Preparation

In English, stative verbs express a condition, an emotion, an opinion, a sensation, or possession. Unlike dynamic verbs, they convey something permanent or stable, without implying an active process or observable transformation.

• I love this song.The verb 'love' expresses an emotion, thus a stable state.

Essential Characteristics of Stative Verbs

• They resist the continuous form (be + -ing)As a general rule, these verbs are not used in the progressive (continuous) form, such as am loving, are knowing, etc.
  • ✅ I know the answer.❌ I am knowing the answer.
• They describe situations without a clear time limitThe state evoked is generally perceived as lasting and general, rather than a specific activity with an identifiable beginning and end.
• They convey continuityStative verbs often refer to something continuous or permanent (at the moment of utterance).

Main Categories of Stative Verbs

Several families of stative verbs can be distinguished.

1. Verbs of sensory perception: see, hear, smell, taste, feel
2. Verbs of emotion and feeling: love, hate, adore, detest, appreciate
3. Verbs of cognition, belief, opinion: believe, think, remember, understand, know
4. Verbs of possession and belonging: own, belong, contain, include
5. Verbs of appearance or description: seem, appear, resemble
6. Verbs of existence: be, exist, remain

Summary Table of Stative Verbs

Special Cases and Verbs with Dual Function (Stative/Dynamic)

Some verbs can be stative in a given context and dynamic (action verbs) in another. In this second case, they accept the progressive form when describing an active process.

Verb 'think'

• Think in the sense of opinion/belief → stative verb
  • I think she is right.(I hold the opinion that she is right – opinion)
• Think in the sense of active reflection → dynamic verb
  • I am thinking about what you said.(I am actively reflecting right now)

Verb 'have'

• Have in the sense of possession → stative verb
  • I have a car.(I possess a car)
• Have in the sense of activity/experience → dynamic verb
  • I am having lunch.(I am currently eating lunch – action)
  • We are having a great time.(We are experiencing a great time)

Verb 'see'

• See in the sense of involuntary visual perception → stative verb
  • I see a bird in the tree.(I perceive a bird – passive perception)
• See in the sense of meeting, consulting → dynamic verb
  • I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.(I have a medical appointment scheduled)

Verbs 'taste / smell / feel'

• Taste / smell / feel in the sense of perception, characteristic → stative verbs
  • The soup tastes good.
  • The flower smells nice.
  • This fabric feels soft.
• Taste / smell / feel in the sense of voluntary action of testing, sniffing, touching → dynamic verbs
  • 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 describe a stable or permanent state → stative verb
  • He is very kind.(He is kind by nature)
• Be + adjective to describe unusual temporary behavior → dynamic verb
  • He is being rude.(He is behaving rudely right now, which is not his usual character)

Conclusion

Stative verbs are an essential grammatical point for succeeding in the TOEIC®. Mastering this distinction will allow you to avoid the common error of incorrectly using the progressive form with these verbs.

However, be careful: some verbs (like think, have, feel, etc.) change their category depending on the context. When they describe an active action, they become dynamic and then accept the continuous form.

We have written other guides on English grammar for the TOEIC®, you can discover them here:

• 🔗 Dynamic Verbs