3 Grammar: action and state verbs

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Focus 3 unit 1.2

• Action verbs            vs           State verbs 

Lesson goal: at the end of the lesson you will be able to:

- distinguish between state and action verbs and 

- complete sentences in the correct tense using the state & action verbs

Verbs are divided into 3 types

Action > dynamic: 

• jump 
• eat
• cry 

all tenses:

> simple

> continuous

> perfect

both 

• think 
• have
• feel
• look

State > condition

• know
• understand
• believe 

NOT continuous

> I know

> I knew

> I have known 

> I had known

X I am knowing

State verbs 

- not action / active 

- (rule!) cannot use 'to be' with stative verbs

• Feelings / emotions: love, hate, like
• Senses: hear, see, feel, smell, sound (tricky!)
• Thinking: forget, remember, be, know, understand, imagine
• Belongings: own, have, belong

state verbs

Special cases: sense verbs

Can be used as both a state verb and an action verb because they each have two different meanings.

No action/a condition/ a state

This smells bad

This tastes salty

I feel sick. 

Action / happening now

I am smelling my armpits

I am tasting the coffee. 

I am feeling the top of the desk.

Special cases:  the verb think

Can be used as both a state verb and an action verb because they each have two different meanings.

No action/a condition/ a state

I think pink is cute colour.

> belief, or an opinion. 

Action / happening now

I am thinking of the answer

> using my brain to try and find the answer

Special cases:  the verb have

Can be used as both a state verb and an action verb because they each have two different meanings.

No action/a condition/ a state

I have a pen

> possession. 

idioms that are actions

I am having a baby 

> to give birth

I am having a party

> to host a party

We are having trouble

> to have difficulty with sth

Check your understanding

1. I ___ (know) the answer. 
2. The child ___ (watch) the TV show now. 
3. This cake ____ (taste) delicious.
4. My father ____ (not/own) a car.
5. I ___ (wear) a blue sweater today.
6. Jane ____ (seem) a little angry today. 
7. People ___ (do) yoga in the park across the street right now. 
8. Chantal ___ (think) that English is easy.  

Check your understanding - Answers

1. I know the answer. 
2. The child is watching the TV show now. 
3. This cake tastes delicious.
4. My father doesn't own a car.
5. I am wearing a blue sweater today.
6. Jane seems a little angry today. 
7. People are doing yoga in the park across the street right now. 
8. Chantal thinks that English is easy.  

Check: goal achieved ?

 Can you

- distinguish between state and action verbs?

work on the weekly task 1.1 + 1.2