Verbs of the English language, as is known, are divided into many categories: from the point of view of transitivity and intransitivity, by their role in the sentence (main and auxiliary), regarding the formation of forms (regular and irregular). There is another classification that is not so clearly reflected in the Russian language - these are state verbs and action verbs, or, as they are called, verbs of state and action.
This division plays quite a role in the language important role, since the type of form used largely determines how sentences will be constructed, as well as what tense will need to be used. In order to understand both types, it is necessary to determine when the types are used and what use is typical for them.
Action Verbs
C English verbs the actions are quite simple: these are forms that are capable of forming long time and show the process (they are sometimes called dynamic verbs). It would be very difficult to list the entire list of such words, since there are many of them. Simply put, these are standard action words that convey not sensations, but a real process - run, read, swim, follow, etc.
Stative structures have a different principle of formation and use, so it is worth dwelling on their features, both grammatical and lexical, in more detail.
State Verbs
State verbs in English language They are called that for a reason. The fact is that they can be used solely to show a certain phase of an action, its state, and not a long process. Feature this category, that it uses verbs that are not used in the Present Continuous and any other continuous tense. Static verbs have several subtypes, all of which are not used in the Continuous for reasons characteristic of the English language. Here are examples of which state verbs are usually highlighted:
- verbs of feelings, that is, those that convey a person’s emotional state - love, hate, like, adore, etc.;
- verbs of perception that reflect not emotions, but physical senses through which a person perceives the world. To the words sensory perception include observe, hear, see, smell, etc.;
- static words emphasizing mental activity - know, understand, believe, suppose, etc.;
- state verbs, displaying abstract relations – belong, possess, have, etc.;
- actions expressing desires and intentions – wish, intend, want, etc.
Note: Quite often, even words that are not used in continuous constructions can be used to show a process. Such situations are relevant in cases where the meaning of such verbs changes, i.e. they acquire something different, not their own. classic meaning. A striking example– smell (smell) and smell (smell). In the first case it is impossible to form a Continuous, but in the second it is possible. Or here: admire in the meaning of “to admire” and admire as “to admire.” The principle is the same as in the example with smell.
Both State and Action Verbs
The rule for dividing action words into action and non-action verbs is not always rigid. The fact is that there are a number of structures that cannot be 100% attributed to any one, but to the second category, that is, they may or may not have Continuous form depending on the situation.
In such forms it is quite great importance has a translation. Most often, any of these verbs is used in a specific context, which you should definitely pay attention to. Depending on the meaning the word acquires, one or another structure is used.
These actions include such as see, have, think, etc., that is, those that can actually be lengthy, but if necessary show certain state. Here are some examples of what this looks like:
· I think she will return as soon as she passes the last exam. I think she'll be back as soon as she passes last exam (verb think conveys the meaning “to believe, to count”)
· I’m thinking about tomorrow’s conference; don't bother me. I’m thinking about tomorrow’s conference, don’t bother me (think conveys the meaning of “to reflect,” i.e., shows the thought process)
Here is another pair that also often has duality of education:
· We have a car, and we don’t want to buy another one. We have a car and we don't want to buy another one (have conveys abstract concept possessions)
· John will call you later; he is having dinner now. John will call you back later, he is having dinner now (have is used in the Continuous, as this word is often included in various set expressions: have shower, have dinner, etc.)
Comparing these two categories will help you hone your skills various exercises with a comparison of action and state verbs. Table with regular and irregular verbs will help you easily find the right option if we're talking about those structures that do not have duration. It is quite important to be aware of this difference, since the type of form used largely determines how the sentence will be constructed and what tense structures should be used in it.
Can be classified by different signs, and one of them is the transfer of the action or state of an object.
Accordingly, all verbs can be divided into dynamic, or action verbs (Dynamic Verbs) and , or state verbs ( Stative Verbs).
Dynamic verbs communicate that an object performs a certain physical action. Most of the verbs we know belong to this group (to eat, to run, to write, to burn, etc.), and each of them describes a specific, understandable physical action.
Stative verbs convey states, feelings, attitudes, mental processes and other characteristics of the subject.
For example, state verbs include such simple and well-known words as to love and to hate, to remember and to forget, to understand and to believe, to look and to feel.
The main difference between static verbs and dynamic verbs is that they are not used in group timesContinuous, i.e. cannot have a long time.
Indeed, it is impossible to observe how we notice or believe, since it is not physical process, and the result mental activity person. The same can be said about all static verbs (of course, with some exceptions, as is usually the case in English).
There are more than forty static verbs in the English language; to make them easier to remember, it makes sense to divide them into semantic groups:
(verbs of physical perception): | to hear, to notice, to see; |
(verbs denoting emotions) | to adore, to care for, to detest, to dislike, to hate, to like, to love, to respect; |
3. (verbs denoting mental processes) | to admire (meaning “to admire”), to appreciate, to assume, to believe (believe), to consider (consider someone, consider as), to doubt, to expect (believe), to feel (believe), to imagine, to know, to mind, to perceive, to presume, to recall, to recognize, to recollect, to regard, to remember, to suppose, to think, to trust, to understand; |
4. Verbs of desire(verbs denoting wish) | to desire, to want, to wish; |
5. Verbs of attitude(relational verbs) | to apply, to be, to belong, to concern, to consist, to contain, to depend, to deserve, to differ, to equal, to fit, to have, to hold, to include, to involve, to lack , to matter, to need, to owe, to own, to possess, to remain, to require, to resemble, to result, to signify, to suffice; |
6. Other verbs | to agree, to allow, to appear, to astonish, to claim, to consent, to displease, to envy, to fail to do, to feel, to find, to forbid, to forgive, to intend, to interest, to keep doing, to manage to do, to mean, to object, to please, to prefer, to prevent, to puzzle, to realize, to refuse, to remind, to satisfy, to seem, to smell, to sound, to succeed , to suit, to surprise, to taste, to tend, to value. |
All of the above verbs are state verbs and should not be used in Continuous tenses.
Remember the simplest phrases in English; it turns out that we constantly use static verbs in speech:
I understand you. / I understand what are you mean.
I need a minute to write it down.
I like roses.
I have a car.
And it never even occurs to us to say I’m understanding or I’m needing.
It seems that everything is clear, but it’s too early to relax. As is often the case in English, there are exceptions to this rule.
These exceptions are due to polysemy (polysemy) English words. For example, the same verb can mean physical action and belong to one of the types of state verbs.
Among them is such a clear and familiar verb to see:
to see – see(stative), meet(dynamic)
He’ s seeing his friends after work. – He meets with friends after work.
Here's another example:
to appear – seem(stative), perform on stage(dynamic)
Verbs taste(have a taste/taste), smell(smell/smell), look(look/look) feel(feel/touch), think(think / ponder) also obey this principle. To figure out whether a verb in a particular case is dynamic or static, you need to have a good understanding of the context in which it is used.
Pay attention to the use of the verb to have both static and dynamic. So when to have is state verb and means “to have”, “possess”, it cannot be used in Continuous Tenses.
But if to have is part stable expression (to have dinner, to have a shower), it starts to work as a dynamic verb:
We have a big house in the suburbs. – We have a big house in the suburbs.
I’ m having lunch, so I’ ll call you later. – I’m having lunch now, so I’ll call you later.
Verb to be can also be used in the tenses of the Continuous group, but only under certain restrictions: it will be used to convey temporary condition or behavior, For example:
You are being too quiet today. What’ s wrong?
She is being a pop- star. “She acts just like a pop star.”
In addition, the verb to be should be put in Continuous for grammatical reasons passive voice (passive voice) V Present forms Continuous Passive and Past Continuous Passive:
Verb to enjoy can be used in Continuous Tenses if it means:
I’ m enjoying my holiday in Italy. – I feel very good on vacation in Italy.
I’ m enjoying the performance a lot. – I love this performance so much!
In other cases to enjoy acts as state verb:
Verbs to look(to look like), to feel(feel), to hurt And to ache(be sick) can be used in both the Continuous and Simple tenses, but the meaning will not change and it will not be considered a grammatical error.
And finally, the most interesting thing. Most stative verbs can be used in the Continuous tense to express bright positive or negative emotions or special treatment:
I’ m loving you. I love you so much!
I'm needing you, don't leave!I really need you, don't go!
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Stative verbs in English (Stative Verbs)
English verbs can be classified according to different criteria, and one of them is the transfer of an action or state of an object.
Accordingly, all verbs can be divided into dynamic , or action verbs (Dynamic Verbs) andstatic (static/static), or state verbs (Stative Verbs).
Dynamic verbs communicate that an object performs a certain physical action. Most of the verbs we know belong to this group (to eat, to run, to write, to burn, etc.), and each of them describes a specific, understandable physical action.
Stative verbs convey states, feelings, attitudes, mental processes and other characteristics of the subject.
For example, state verbs include such simple and well-known words as to love and to hate, to remember and to forget, to understand and to believe, to look and to feel.
The main difference between static verbs and dynamic verbs is thatthey are not used in Continuous tenses, i.e. cannot have a long time.
Indeed, it is impossible to observe how we notice or believe, since this is not a physical process, but the result of human mental activity. The same can be said about all static verbs (of course, with some exceptions, as is usually the case in English).
There are more than forty static verbs in the English language; to make them easier to remember, it makes sense to divide them into semantic groups:
1. Verbs of physical perception(verbs of physical perception): | to hear, to notice, to see; |
2. Verbs of emotional state(verbs denoting emotions) | to adore, to care for, to detest, to dislike, to hate, to like, to love, to respect; |
3. Verbs mental activity (verbs denoting mental processes) | to admire (meaning “to admire”), to appreciate, to assume, to believe (believe), to consider (consider someone, consider as), to doubt, to expect (believe), to feel (believe), to imagine, to know, to mind, to perceive, to presume, to recall, to recognize, to recollect, to regard, to remember, to suppose, to think, to trust, to understand; |
4. Verbs denoting wish | to desire, to want, to wish; |
5. Verbs of attitude(relational verbs) | to apply, to be, to belong, to concern, to consist, to contain, to depend, to deserve, to differ, to equal, to fit, to have, to hold, to include, to involve, to lack , to matter, to need, to owe, to own, to possess, to remain, to require, to resemble, to result, to signify, to suffice; |
6. Other verbs | to agree, to allow, to appear, to astonish, to claim, to consent, to displease, to envy, to fail to do, to feel, to find, to forbid, to forgive, to intend, to interest, to keep doing, to manage to do, to mean, to object, to please, to prefer, to prevent, to puzzle, to realize, to refuse, to remind, to satisfy, to seem, to smell, to sound, to succeed , to suit, to surprise, to taste, to tend, to value. |
All of the above verbs are state verbs and should not be used in Continuous tenses.
Remember the simplest phrases in English; it turns out that we constantly use static verbs in speech:
- I understand you. / I understand what you mean.
- I need a minute to write it down.
- I like roses.
- I have a car.
And it never even occurs to us to say I’m understanding or I’m needing.
It seems that everything is clear, but it’s too early to relax. As is often the case in English, there are exceptions to this rule.
These exceptions are due to the polysemy of English words. For example, the same verb can mean physical action and belong to one of the types of state verbs.
Among them is such a clear and familiar verb to see:
to see – see (stative), meet (dynamic)
I see a woman in an elegant suit. – I see a woman in an elegant suit.
He’s seeing his friends after work. – He meets with friends after work.
Here's another example:
to appear – to appear (stative), perform on stage(dynamic)
She appears to be very happy with her new job. She seems happy with her new job.
My favorite band is appearing on Sunday. – My favorite band performs on Sunday.
Verbs taste (have a taste/taste), smell (smell/smell), look (look/look) feel (feel/touch), think (think / ponder) also obey this principle. To figure out whether a verb in a particular case is dynamic or static, you need to have a good understanding of the context in which it is used.
Pay attention to the use of the verb to have both static and dynamic. So when to have is state verband means “to have”, “possess”, it cannot be used in Continuous Tenses.
But if to have ispart of a stable expression(to have dinner, to have a shower), it starts to work as a dynamic verb:
We have a big house in the suburbs. – We have a big house in the suburbs.
I’m having lunch, so I’ll call you later. – I’m having lunch now, so I’ll call you later.
Verb to be can also be used in the tenses of the Continuous group, but only under certain restrictions: it will be used to conveytemporary condition or behavior, for example:
You are being too quiet today. What's wrong?
You've been completely quiet today. What's happened?
She is being a pop-star. “She acts just like a pop star.”
In addition, the verb to be should be put in Continuous for grammatical reasons in the passive voice in the forms Present Continuous Passive and Past Continuous Passive:
A new swimming pool is being built in our district. – A new swimming pool is being built in our area.
An applicant was being interviewed when I came to the office yesterday morning. – When I came to the office yesterday morning, a job applicant was being interviewed.
Verb to enjoy can be used in Continuous Tenses if it meansenjoyment of something specific:
I’m enjoying my holiday in Italy. – I feel very good on vacation in Italy.
I'm enjoying the performance a lot. – I love this performance so much!
In other cases to enjoy acts asstate verb:
I enjoy watching horror films at night. – I like watching horror films at night.
Verbs to look, to feel, to hurt and to ache (be sick) can be used in both the Continuous and Simple tenses, but the meaning will not change and it will not be considered a grammatical error.
You’re looking (= you look) much younger in this brightly-colored summer dress.
This bright summer dress will make you look much younger.
I’m feeling (= I feel) more confident after my promotion.
I feel more confident after the promotion.
My leg hurts (is hurting) me. - Leg hurts.
And finally, the most interesting thing. Most stative verbs can be used in the Continuous tense to express strong positive or negative emotions or special treatment:
I'm loving you. I love you so much!
I’m hating the way you treat waiters.
I really don't like the way you treat waiters.
I'm needing you, don't leave! I really need you, don't go!
We have already discussed this in previous posts. From the first day of training you must learn simple truth: each English sentence has a verb. Verbs must be classified, that is, “sorted.” And such a classification is very important, it gives a clearer understanding of the grammatical structure of the English language. You will be classifying verbs throughout your training. The very first and simplest division involves only two groups of verbs: this.
It is also very important to understand the difference between dynamic and static verbs, as it is fundamental in English grammar.
1) Dynamic verbs.
From the very name “dynamic” it is very easy to understand what these verbs mean actions, activity, dynamics etc. This means that you can “perform” them, and, in addition, you can easily “depict” them: for example, draw, photograph, etc. There are a great many examples of this: running, sitting, jump, read, write, lie down, pick up, play, swim, sweep, dance and etc. From such verbs it is easy to obtain nouns that denote people or devices or mechanisms associated with the corresponding actions. In Russian: read – reader; write - writer; dance - dancer; swim - swimmer; etc. Let me remind you that in English you need to add to the verb, and accordingly we have: to read – a reader; to write – a writer; to dance – a dancer; to swim – a swimmer.
2) Static verbs.
From the very name “static” it is easy to understand that these verbs mean “static”, “immobility”, “state”, etc. They cannot be depicted or shown; they are, as it were, “inside” us; there is no action. For example: believe think, remember, dream, worry, respect, despise, assume, know, doubt, deserve, want, desire, hope and so on.
Difference between dynamic and static verbs It’s very easy to understand when you see a person and ask: “What is he doing?” And here comes the answer: “Digs the beds, or, for example, waters the flowers.” I can see that he is digging or watering. and I can call these verbs “to dig” or “to water”; these are dynamic verbs. Now, how can I see that someone is dreaming, believing someone, or remembering someone? This is impossible, because the verbs dream, believe, remember are static and I cannot “fulfill” them, show and see them.
The number of dynamic verbs is less than the number of static ones, I think this is understandable. Basic static verbs are easy to learn by dividing them into groups, but more on that in the next post.
We all know that a verb is an action. For example: run, jump, teach.
However, in English there is separate group verbs that express a state - feelings, emotions, thought processes etc.
There are certain nuances in the use of such verbs. In the article I will tell you which ones.
4 groups of stative verbs in English
State verbs (state/stative verbs)- describe not only the action, but also the state of the object. State is the position in which someone or something is.
For example: She loves him (that is, she is in a state of love).
That is, we do not do anything, this is what happens inside, in the head or heart.
Let's look at the main groups of such verbs:
1. Verbs expressing physical perception
feel - feel, sense
hear - to hear
look - to look, seem (but not in the meaning of “look”)
observe - notice, observe
recognize - recognize, recognize
see - to see
seem - seem
smell - have a smell
sound - sound
taste - to taste
distinguish - to distinguish
For example:
I see a house.
I see a house.
I hear only you.
I only hear you.
2. Verbs expressing mental state
know - know
believe - believe
notice - notice
realize - realize
forget - to forget
remember - remember
recognize - recognize
think - think (have an opinion), believe
expect - meaning to think
understand - to understand
see - meaning to understand
seem - seem
mean - to mean, to mean
For example:
They know me.
They know me.
I think he is right.
I think he's right.
3. Verbs expressing emotions and desires
like - like
dislike - don't like it
love - to love
hate - to hate
care - worry
hope - to hope
wish - to wish
want - want
need - to need
prefer - to prefer
mind - worry, worry
For example:
We wanted dessert.
We wanted dessert.
I like music.
I like music.
4. Verbs expressing possession of something
be - to be
belong - belong
own - to possess
have - to have
contain - contain in oneself
cost - cost
seem - seem
need - to need
depend on - depend
come from - to be from
resemble - to be similar
possess - to possess
For example:
This doll belongs to me.
This doll belongs to me.
This costs too much.
It costs too much.
All these verbs have a peculiarity in their use. Let's look at which one.
Features of stative verbs in English
State verbs are never used in the Continuous tense group. We use this group when we want to say that something is in progress. For example, I am swimming, that is, I am in the process of swimming.
They are watch ing TV.
They are watching TV.
He was work ing the whole morning.
He worked all morning.
Read more about these times in the following articles:
Why are these state verbs not used in the Present Continuous?
As we have already seen, this tense is used to emphasize that the action is in progress: we started doing it some time ago, we are doing it now, but after some time we will finish doing it.
To be used in our continuous tense, a verb must be able to last.
For example: to cook - you started cooking, you are cooking now, after some time you will finish.
Returning to our exception verbs. We cannot start smelling (smelling) or hearing (hearing) and finish this process after some time. This is what we do all the time. We are talking about the fact that we can smell and hear. Likewise, forgetting, understanding, or emotions cannot be processes, because otherwise it turns out that these processes began once, are now continuing, and will end someday.
So now let's practice using these verbs.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.
1. He wants to see you.
2. She understands physics.
3. This sounds good.
4. I know him.
5. They hate cleaning.