Stative Verbs - A2 Grammar Rules and Exercises

Exercises

Explanation

Stative Verbs (Non-Action Verbs)

Because stative verbs describe status, not activity, they are not usually used in continuous (-ing) forms, even when speaking about the present. Instead, we normally use the Present Simple.

These verbs frequently relate to:

Mental processes (thinking, knowing, remembering)
Emotions (liking, loving, disliking)
Possession (having, owning, belonging)
Senses (seeming, tasting, sounding, smelling—when describing a quality, not an action)
General states or conditions (needing, wanting, preferring)

Examples of common stative verbs

Category	Verbs	Example sentence
Emotions	like, love, hate, prefer	I love rainy days. She hates loud music.
Thinking & knowing	know, believe, understand, remember	I know the answer. He believes in hard work.
Possession	have, own, belong	They have two children. This book belongs to Anna.
Senses (description)	taste, smell, sound, see, hear	The flowers smell wonderful. This idea sounds interesting.
Other states	seem, need, want, mean	I need more time. They want a bigger house.

Stative verbs usually do NOT take -ing

Not correct:

I am knowing the answer.
She is having a car.

Correct:

I know the answer.
She has a car.

Some verbs can be both stative and action verbs (different meanings)

Certain verbs change meaning depending on whether they describe a state or an action:

Verb	Stative meaning (simple)	Action meaning (continuous)
have	have a car (possess)	be having lunch (eating)
think	think it's true (believe)	be thinking about it (considering)
see	see a bird (perceive)	be seeing a dentist (meeting/appointment)
taste	the food tastes salty (quality)	she is tasting the food (trying)
be	she is kind (character)	she is being rude (temporary behaviour)

Knowing this difference helps you speak more clearly and naturally.

Helpful Tip

If a verb describes an idea, feeling, or state of being, it is likely a stative verb.
If it describes something you can physically do, it is usually a dynamic (action) verb.

Summary

Stative verbs describe feelings, thoughts, senses, possession, and states.
They usually do not use -ing.
Some verbs change meaning depending on whether they express a state or an action.