How to use stative (state) and dynamic verbs
- Download a complete list of stative verbs with lots of examples in PDF here
- Try an exercise about stative verbs here
Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous, or the future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones:
Stative (or State) Verb List
|doubt||think (=have an opinion)||feel (=have an opinion)|
|lack||measure (=have length etc)||possess|
|owe||weigh (=have weight)|
A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.
Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:
|be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting'