STATIVE VERBS in English

Hi.

I'm Rebecca from www.engvid.com, and this lesson is about stative verbs.

Today I'll explain what stative verbs are, how to use them, and how not to use them.

Specifically, we'll be looking at twelve important stative verbs, and I'll show you how to stop

making mistakes with those commonly used verbs, and how to start using them correctly and

confidently.

Okay?

So, let's get started.

All right, so first of all, when we're talking about verbs in English, there are many ways

to classify them.

Okay?

You probably know some of these already; like, for example, we talk about verbs as being

regular and irregular, or transitive and intransitive.

And today what we'll be looking at is the fact that verbs are also divided according

to whether they are dynamic or stative.

Okay?

Now, what does that mean?

Most verbs in English are what we call "dynamic".

That means that they refer to actions.

All right?

But "stative" verbs refer to states or conditions.

So, let's look at the difference.

The dynamic verbs refer to actions.

For example: "run" or "play, or "work" and "learn", or "eat" and "drink".

Right?

These are actions.

And what's important with these dynamic verbs, which are most of the verbs in English-all

right?-is that we can use them in all the tenses.

That means we can use them in the simple tenses, we can use them in the continuous tenses,

or we can use them with the perfect tenses.

All right?

So these verbs you can use in all of the wonderful tenses of English that you know.

All right?

For example, I could say: "I work" or "I worked"; "I am working" or "I was working"; or "I have

worked" or "I have been working".

Right?

I can use it in the simple tense or the continuous tense - no problem.

But what happens when we get to the stative verbs, and this is the main mistake that people

make, is that because it refers to a state or condition, we cannot use it with all the

tenses; we can only use these verbs in anything but the continuous.

So, we can use it with the simple tense or with the perfect tense, but not in a continuous form.

Okay?

Let me give you the examples.

So, examples of a stative verbs...

Verb is: "know".

Okay?

"I know", "I understand", "I believe".

I can say that, but I should not be saying and cannot say in correct English: "I am knowing".

Okay?

No continuous forms.

And this is where the majority of mistakes are made, because first of all, in many languages

they are no different verb tenses; there's no simple and continuous at all, so there's

only one present tense, for example.

So...

Or one past tense, and that's what causes the difficulty sometimes in English between

these simple tenses and continuous tenses.

Okay?

And especially in this section, because these stative verbs are never allowed to be used

in the continuous form.

Okay?

And I'm going to make your life easier because I am today just focusing on these stative

verbs that we can never use in the continuous form.

Okay?

So, these are the ones.

Now look at some examples of what we can say with them.

We can say, for example: "I know", "I knew", "I have known", "I had known".

Right?

Simple, past, perfect tenses here-okay?-but no continuous tenses.

All right?

Now, just for you to know, there are also some verbs-okay?-not too many, a few, maybe...

Which are a little bit more difficult.

All right?

Why?

Because those verbs can sometimes be used in a dynamic way, and then we can use them

with all the tenses, and sometimes they can be used in a stative way.

Way.

And therefore we cannot use them in the continuous.

And these are sort of the most difficult ones of the lot; we're not going to talk about

them today.

That's another lesson, okay?

So you have to pay special attention to these, which could be used both ways, but today I'm

going to make your life very easy because we're just going to focus on the twelve stative

verbs...

Not the twelve, but twelve out of many, which we can only use in the stative form.

Okay?

So, let's look at what those verbs are.

Okay, so one thing I want to mention is: If you look up this subject in a standard grammar

textbook or even online, usually they just divide these verbs into two: Dynamic and stative.

Okay?

But the problem is then under the stative they mix up the ones which are always stative,

and the ones which are sometimes stative and sometimes dynamic.

And that's why I separated them into three categories: The verbs which are always dynamic,

the words which are...

The verbs which are always stative, and a few verbs which we didn't cover and we're

not going to cover in this lesson, but which you know that there are some that can sometimes

be stative and sometimes be dynamic.

Okay?

Now, if you want to know about these, I have written a list or a resource for you with

the stative verbs and also with those exceptions that can sometimes be stative and sometimes

be dynamic with explanations.

Okay?

So later you can go to our website and download that list if you like, and that will help

you.

It's a good reference for you to have on hand.

And also you can go through the list and see: "Oh my gosh, yeah, I didn't know that was

a stative verb; I used to say that in the continuous form."

And that's what you're not going to do anymore.

Okay?

But now let's look at twelve, plus two bonus verbs, that are never used in the continuous

form.

So in case you are using them that way, it's not going to happen anymore.

Okay?

Let's look at what they are.

All right.

So, I've written all the stative verbs in red.

Okay?

So, let's give an example.

You can say: "I love chocolate", but not: "I'm loving".

Okay?

Now, I'm not going to say the wrong one for you; I'm just going to say the right one.

All right?

So you can hear and repeat after me the correct form.

Okay?

"I love chocolate."

The next one: "I like that show."

You can say it after me.

I'm going to say: "I" before all of these.

Okay?

Ready?

"I hate cleaning."

That's not true, but maybe some people don't like cleaning.

"I need a ride."

Okay?

Not the continuous form.

"I know her.", "I understand French."

Okay?

Not the continuous.

No continuous here.

And an extra one: "I own a car."

Okay?

Not that continuous form.

Next, let's look at some other verbs.

These are the very common words, right?

"Love", "like", "hate", "need", "know", "understand", "own".

Very common words, okay?

But now let's look at some other words, and slightly more advanced words, but also words

which are very commonly used.

For example, we should say: "I appreciate your offer."

Or: "I prefer Chinese food."

Okay?

Repeat it after me because one way of learning is not just to read it and not just to hear

it, but also to hear yourself saying it and to say it yourself so your mouth gets used

to saying the right thing.

Okay?

Next: "I dislike horror movies.", "I believe you."

Okay?

"I realize I was wrong."

What does it mean "to realize" something?

It's like to suddenly understand.

Okay?

To understand that something is true.

"I realize I was wrong."

Not the continuous form.

No continuous forms with any of these stative verbs.

Right.

"I recognize him."

What does it mean "to recognize" someone?

To be able to identify that that is that person.

Okay?

"I recognize him."

Or it can even also recognize a thing.

"I recognize that backpack.

I think it's his."

Okay?

To identify that something belongs to someone or that somebody is someone.

Okay?

And the last one here: "I belong to that club."

Okay?

And, again, "belong" in this context means...

It means I'm a member.

Okay?

I'm a member of that club.

All right?

So, let's say these again: "I appreciate", "I prefer", "I dislike", "I believe", "I realize",

"I recognize", "I belong".

Okay?

So, you've just learned fourteen stative verbs that you will always from now on never use

in the continuous form.

You can use them in the simple form - that means you can use them in the present or the

past; and you can also use them in the perfect form, like for example: "I have done something"

or "I had done something".

Okay?

All right.

So, what you could do is choose one of these words that maybe in the past you were making

a mistake-all right?-and leave a comment for us.

Go to our website: www.engvid.com.

Go there, leave a comment.

Practice using one of these words.

And also you could, while you're there, download that resource I was telling you about; that

list with the stative verbs so that you know all of the stative verbs that exist, and also

the ones which are the exceptions; the ones where you have to be really careful.

Right?

And they're very common, too, like: "have", and "be", and "think".

So learn how to use those; I've explained it there on the resource.

And don't forget to do the quiz so that you really know this stuff.

All right?

And if you enjoyed my video, please subscribe and share.

All right?

If you hear...

Now that you know this rule, if you hear any of your friends speaking this way or writing

this way - do them a favour, all right?

Point it out to them.

Tell them to watch the video so they understand, too, and then you and your friends can be

speaking and writing more correctly.

All right?

Thanks very much for watching.

Bye for now, and all the best with your English.