Stative Verbs: How to Use Them in Writing
Stative verbs express a state of being, condition or situation that a subject experiences. Stative verbs do not express physical actions and don’t work in all verb tenses.
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Stative verbs express a state of being, condition, perception, emotion, or cognition. In a way, they are the opposite of action verbs.
Action verbs, or dynamic verbs, express things that happen and actions that a subject can perform. Stative verbs describe a “state,” which is a condition or situation that a subject experiences.
Learn how to use stative verbs in your writing. Then, make editing and copy review a breeze with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.
What Is a Stative Verb? Definition:
A stative verb is defined as a verb which describes a “state” such as a state of being, thinking, or feeling, instead of expressing an action that’s happening.
For the most part, that definition is easy to follow, especially when contrasted with the idea of action (dynamic) verbs.
5 Types of Stative Verbs
Stative verbs aren’t always easy to categorize but they can be organized loosely into several groups.
1. Verbs of perception or thinking
Verbs related to a subject’s cognition (thoughts) are stative verbs:
- I think that’s a good recipe.
- She thought the exam would be easier.
- They understood what I was saying.
- She forgot to go to the store.
- Have you forgotten what today is?
2. Verbs of emotion or feelings
Verbs related to emotions, sentiments, or feelings are stative.
- You love that book, don’t you?
- I loved reading it!
- He liked to go on walks.
- You always have liked coffee!
- I do not like this song.
3. Verbs of attitude or preference
Verbs related to attitude or preference can overlap with categories of cognition or feelings and are stative.
- I prefer espresso to coffee.
- She said she appreciated how hard you work.
- We agreed on so many things.
- They doubted I knew the answer.
- I tend to enjoy most films.
4. Verbs of relation or possession
- She has a large family.
- They have owned several cars over the years.
- That watch belongs to them!
- You haven’t had a break all day.
- My favorite handbag has a broken zipper!
5. Mental or physical states
- I am happy.
- She seems happy.
- That coffee tastes funny.
- Those bananas weigh five pounds.
- Do you feel well today?
- Can you hear that?
Verb Tenses for Stative Verbs vs. Dynamic Verbs
When a verb expresses an action performed by the subject of a sentence, it is a dynamic verb.
If a verb is not something physical one can do, it’s a stative verb. Generally, the actions expressed by dynamic verbs can begin and finish, whereas stative verbs don’t necessarily have that same relationship with time.
For example:
- I wrote them a letter. The verb “wrote” is dynamic. Writing a letter begins and ends.
- I feel ill today. The verb “feel” is stative. A feeling doesn’t concretely begin and end.
This difference makes some verb tenses trickier — or not used at all — with stative verbs.
Dynamic Verbs and Verb Tenses: A Refresher
Every verb tense can express dynamic verbs.
An action verb can almost always be expressed in every tense because the different verb tenses are constructions that are meant to express when actions begin, end, and continue.
Can Stative Verbs Be Used in All Tenses?
Since many stative verbs refer to states or conditions and not to actions that begin and end, not all verb conjugations work well with them. The progressive (or continuous) tenses are grammatically incorrect when used with many stative verbs:
- Incorrect: That is not belonging to you.
- Incorrect: They have been owning several cars.
- Incorrect: My favorite handbag is having a broken zipper.
Stative verbs can be used in a dynamic way
This incompatibility between progressive tenses and stative verbs is true for many instances, but it isn’t always true because some stative verbs can be used in a dynamic sense.
- I am thinking about going to Greece.
- We are hoping you will come along.
- I had been wanting to catch this movie!
Dynamic verbs used in a stative sense
Sometimes, a verb that is typically used to express an action can be used in a way that is more stative. This is typically the case with:
- I tasted the soup. It’s excellent.
- I was feeling around in the dark to try and find my house keys.
- Did you weigh those bananas?
If It’s Not an Action Verb, It’s Probably Stative
The best way to know if a verb is stative is to consider whether it is an action that can be performed and which has a start and end. If it’s not, then it is likely a stative verb.
While there are many exceptions, typically progressive tenses don’t sound right when it comes to verb conjugations for stative verbs.
When writing, correct verb conjugation is critical to making a positive impression and communicating a clear message. A reader may not necessarily know the grammatical name of a particular tense, but they’ll pick up on incorrect conjugations when they read them.
Review your copy with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker, and communicate confidently with your audience.
Then, learn more grammar best practices in our top guides:
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