What is a stative verb? The following lesson provides definition and examples of stative verbs in English with ESL infographics.
Contents
Stative Verbs
Stative Verb Definition
Stative verbs are verbs that describe a state rather than an action. When describing states, they never take the continuous (‘-ing’) form.
Stative Verb Examples
Here are some examples of stative verbs and instances of their correct and incorrect usage.
|
STATIVE VERB |
CORRECT USAGE |
INCORRECT USAGE |
| Like | I like you. | I am liking you. |
| Love | I love you. | I am loving you. |
| Hate | I hate you. | I am hating you |
| Appear | It appears to be cloudy. | It is appearing to be cloudy. |
| Believe | I believe in God. | I am believing in God. |
| Fit | This shoe fits me. | This shoe is fitting me. |
| Sound | This song sounds good. | This song is sounding good. |
| Remember | I remember everything. | I am remembering everything. |
Other Stative Verbs
Agree
- I agree with you to a certain degree.
Astonish
- It astonished her that he was able to survive.
Doubt
- I doubt the accuracy of his statement.
Belong
- They belong to the country club.
Concern
- It doesn’t concern you.
Appreciate
- Her family doesn’t appreciate her.
Consist
- The atmosphere consist of more than 70 % of nitrogen.
Adore
- I would adore to settle back homeland.
Cost
- It will cost you 1000 yuan at most.
Feel
- I feel awful about forgetting her birthday.
Have
- I have a bit of a fever.
Deny
- He will not confirm or deny the allegations.
Depend
- You can’t depend on your parents forever.
Detest
- I detest violence with my whole being.
Disagree
- We disagree to the communique.
Dislike
- He seems to dislike any form of exercise.
Lack
- Our main problem is lack of cash.
Contain
- He could hardly contain his fury.
Equal
- Nobody can equal him in intelligence.
Matter
- It doesn’t matter how you do it.
Deserve
- You deserve all the credit.
Hear
- I want to hear your explanation for being late.
Imagine
- I can just imagine him saying that!
Involve
- Don’t involve yourself with those people.
Know
- You know perfectly well what I mean.
Loathe
- The two men loathe each other.
Recognize
- I could scarcely recognize him.
Mean
- He didn’t mean to harm you.
Mind
- Do you mind if I ask you a favor?
Need
- We need to assess the impact on climate change.
Look
- You look good in that shirt.
Owe
- I owe him an apology.
Understand
- I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
Want
- I want to know more about it in detail.
Own
- I own that you are right.
See
- She was sad to see him go.
Weigh
- I always weigh my words before speaking.
Surprise
- He may surprise us all yet.
Seem
- I seem to have accumulated a lot of books.
Prefer
- I prefer coffee in the morning.
Wish
- I wish we had a car.
Promise
- I promise I will do my duty.
Realize
- I didn’t realize you were so unhappy.
Resemble
- You resemble your mother very closely.
Satisfy
- This work does not satisfy me.
Smell
- I can smell your perfume a mile away.
Suppose
- I suppose I was quite promiscuous in my youth.
Think
- I think it’s a load of bull.
Stative Verbs in English | Infographic
Really good and helpful