State verbs

State verbs and event (action or dynamic)verbs

State verbs describe a continuing state, so do not usually have a continuous

form. Typical examples are:

believe, belong, consist, contain, doubt, fit, have, know, like, love, matter, mean,

need, own, prefer, seem, suppose, suspect, understand, want, wish

Some verbs have a stative meaning and a different active meaning. Typical

examples are: be, depend, feel, have, measure, see, taste, think, weig.

Compare these uses:

·        Event

Jill's being noisy.

We're having an interesting conversation!

David's thinking about getting a new job.

I'm just tasting the soup.

I'm feeling terrible.

We're weighing the baby.

Bill, I'm depending on you to win this

contract for us.

The differences here apply to all verb forms, not just to present verb forms.

·        State

Jack is noisy.

Deirdre has a Porsche.

I think I like you!

This fish tastes awful!

I feel that you are wrong.

This bag weighs a ton!

It depends what you mean.

Other uses of present continuous

·                   Temporary situations:  Are you enjoying your stay here?

·                   Repeated actions: My car has broken down, so I am walking to work these days.

·                   Complaints about annoying habits: You are always making snide remarks about my cooking!

·                   Other possible adverbs are: constantly, continually, forever

·                   With verbs describing change and development: The weather is getting worse!

·                   More and more people are giving up smoking.

Other uses of present simple

·                   Making declarations

Verbs describing opinions and feelings tend to be state verbs.

I hope you'll come to my party.

I bet you don't know the answer!

I hereby declare this hospital open!

·                   Headlines

These are written in a 'telegram' style, and references to the past are usually

simplified to present simple.

Ship sinks in midnight collision.

·                   Instructions and itineraries

Instructions and recipes can be written in present simple instead of in

imperative forms. This style is more personal.

First you roll out the pastry.

·                   Itineraries are descriptions of travel arrangements.

On day three we visit Stratford-upon-Avon.

·                   Summaries of events

Plots of stories, films etc, and summaries of historical events use present (and

present perfect) verb forms.

May 1945: The war in Europe conies to an end.

...At the end of the play both families realise that their hatred caused the

deaths of the lovers ...

·                   'Historic present' in narrative and funny stories

In informal speech, it is possible to use what we call the 'historic present' to

describe past events, especially to make the narration seem more immediate

and dramatic.

... So then the second man asks the first one why he has a banana in his ear

and the first one says ...

Practice

Exercise 1: Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) I haven't decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one.

But / I think about it/I'm thinking about it.

b) All right, you try to fix the television! But / I hope/I'm hoping you know what

you're doing.

c) Every year / I visit/I'm visiting Britain to improve my English.

d) It's time we turned on the central heating. It gets/It's getting colder every day.

e) Of course, you're Mary, aren't you! /I recognise/I am recognising you now.

f) The film of 'War and Peace' is very long. It lasts/It is lasting over four hours.

g) I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do

you do/are you doing in the afternoons?

h) I'm going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesn't fit/isn't fitting

any more,

i) That must be the end of the first part of the performance. What happens/is

happening now?

j) What's the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that?

Exercise 2: Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) I work in this office all this year/all the time.

b) Emerson is currently/for long top of the driver's league.

c) I am not making much money these days/so far this year.

d) The food tastes even worse now/presently. You've put too much salt in.

e) Normally/previously we get in touch with customers by post.

f) Pete was ill but he is getting over his illness soon/now.

g) I'm feeling rather run down lately/at present, doctor,

h) I always stay on duty since/until six o'clock.

i) I'm often/forever picking your hairs out of the bath!

j) Fortunately the baby now/recently sleeps all night.

Exercise 3: Put each verb in brackets into the present simple or present continuous.

I work in a large office with about thirty other people, most of whom I

(1)      know    (know) quite well. We (2)....................... (spend) most of the day

together, so we have all become friends. In fact, most of my colleagues are so

interesting, that I (3) ....................... (think) of writing a book about them!

(4) ....................... (take) Helen Watson, for example. Helen (5) ....................... (run) the accounts department. At the moment she (6) ....................... (go out) with

Keith Ballantine, one of the sales representatives, and they (7) ....................... (seem) very happy together. But everyone - except Helen apparently - (8) ....................... (know) that Keith (9) ....................... (fancy) Susan Porter. But I

(10) ....................... (happen) to know that Susan (11) ....................... (dislike) Keith. 'I can't stand people who never (12) ....................... (stop) apologising all the

time!' she told me. 'And besides, I know he (13) ....................... (deceive) poor

Helen. He (14) ....................... (see) Betty Wills from the overseas department.'

And plenty of other interesting things (15) ....................... (currently/go on). For

instance, every week we (16) ....................... (experience) more and more problems

with theft - personal belongings and even money have been stolen. When you

(17) ....................... (realise) that someone in your office is a thief, it

(18) ....................... (upset) you at first. But I (19) ....................... (also/try) to catch

whoever it is before the police are called in. I'm not going to tell you who I

(20) ....................... (suspect). Well, not yet anyway!

Exercise 4: Most of these sentences contain an error. Where there is an error, rewrite the sentence correctly.

Examples: a) I'm depending on you, so don't make any mistakes! ( no error )

b) Is this total including the new students? Does this total include the new students?

c) Excuse me, but do you wait for somebody?

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d) These potatoes are tasting a bit funny.

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e) How are you feeling today?

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f) I look forward to hearing from you.

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g) I have a feeling that something goes wrong.

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h) What's that you're eating?

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i) Are you hearing anything from Wendy these days?

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j) I think you're being rather mean about this.

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