State verbs

State verbs with a change in meaning

Stative verbs often relate to:

• thoughts and opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognise, remember, suspect, think, understand

• feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish

• senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste

• possession and measurement: belong, have, measure, own, possess, weigh.

State verbs with a change in meaning

State verbs (also known as stative verbs) typically describe a state or condition rather than an action. However, some state verbs can change meaning depending on whether they are used in the simple or continuous form. Here are a few examples:

Think

Simple: I think you’re right. (believe)

Continuous: I’m thinking about what you said. (considering)

Have

Simple: I have a car. (possess)

Continuous: I’m having a great time. (experiencing)

See

- Simple: I see the mountains from my house. (perceive)

- Continuous: I’m seeing a doctor this afternoon. (meeting)

Smell

- Simple: That soup smells good. (has a good smell)

- Continuous: He's smelling the soup. (sniffing at)

Taste
Continuous: This milk tastes sour. (has a sour taste)
Simple: I was just tasting the food. (trying out)

Feel
Simple: I feel tired. (have an emotional/physical state)

Continuous: I’m feeling the fabric. (touching)

These examples show how the meaning can shift based on whether the verb is used in a simple or continuous form, often moving from a general state to a more specific action or experience.