State vs action/active verbs

State vs action/active verbs

by ABRIL CARDENAS

Multiple Choice

...are words associated to states, thoughts, opinions, etc

• watch, cook, drink, sleep, walk

• happy, stressed, believe, hard-working, thirsty

• swim, confused, dream, gossipy, intelligent

Multiple Choice

...are words associated to actions/ activities

• listen to, paint, read, drive, bake

• smell, have, seem, love, to be

• know, skate, smoke, believe, grow

​ACTION VERBS

​As their name suggest; are verbs that describe activities or actions and MOST IMPORTANT: are used in simple and continuous tenses.

​EXAMPLES:

​Simple tenses

​I go swimming everyday

​I did not go swimming yesterday morning

​I have gone swiiming for 7 years now

​Continuous tenses (there is always a verb in -ing)

​I was swimming when the phone rang

​I have been swimming for the past 2 hours

I will be swimming tomorrow morning as well cause I love it so much

Multiple Choice

I ... ... an apple.

• am eating

• are eating

• is eating

• eating

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

​STATE VERBS

As their name suggest; are verbs that describe:

• ​thoughts, opinions and beliefs

• feelings & emotions

• sense and perceptions

• possession

• measurement

• MOST IMPORTANT: are used in simple tenses.

EXAMPLES:

​​My grandpa knows a lot about WW1 and WW II because he fought in both

I didn´t know the answer to the last question in the exam

​​​She thinks the judges´ votes were unfair in the talent show

They seem worried. What is going on?

​I am tired. I need to take a nap

​He has 3 brothers, also lawyers

​We believe in life after death

​

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​There are some verbs that can be & are used in both tenses, BUT they have a change in meaning.

​I think UFOs are real= It is an idea (state verb)

​I am thinking about a solution to get out of this situation! = Is what the person is doing at the moment (action verb)

​

​I have an old car = Possession (state verb)

​I am having problems uploading my homework to the platform.

​It Is what is happening to the person at the moment (action verb)

​

​I don´t see very well = sense (state verb)

​The doctor is seeing you right now, so please follow me

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