Dynamic and stative verbs
Introduction
Verbs in English can be classified into two categories: stative verbs
and dynamic verbs. Dynamic verbs (sometimes referred to as "action verbs")
usually describe actions we can take, or things that happen; stative verbs usually
refer to a state or condition which is not changing or likely to change. The
difference is important, because stative verbs cannot normally be used in the
continuous (BE + ING) forms. This will explain the differences between the two
types of verb, and give lots of examples of each kind.
Dynamic verbs
There are many types of dynamic verbs, but most of them describe activities or
events which can begin and finish. Here are some examples:
Dynamic
Type Examples
Verb
She plays tennis every Friday.
play activity
She's playing tennis right now.
The snow melts every spring.
melt process
The snow is melting right now
When one boxer hits another, brain
damage can result. (This suggests only
momentary ONE punch.)
hit
action When one boxer is hitting another, brain
damage can result. (This suggests MANY
repeated punches.)
Dynamic verbs, as you can see from the table above, can be used in the simple
and perfect forms (plays, played, has played, had played) as well as the
continuous or progressive forms (is playing, was playing, has been playing, had
been playing).
Stative verbs
Stative verbs usually refer to a state or condition which is quite static or
unchanging. They can be divided into verbs of perception or cognition (which
refer to things in the mind), or verbs of relation (which describe the relationships
between things). Here are some examples:
Stative Verb Type Examples
hate perception I hate chocolate.
believe perception She believes in UFOs.
contain relation The box contains 24 cans of soda.
own relation Yong owns three motorbikes.
Note that we CANNOT use these verbs in the continuous (progressive) forms; you
CAN'T say "*Yong is owning three cars." Owning is a state, not an action, so it is
always in the simple form.
Example verbs
Here some common stative and dynamic verbs. The lists may help you to
understand what types of verbs are likely to be stative and what types are
commonly dynamic.
love; hate; like; see; hear; sound; think (meaning "have an
Stativ
opinion"); mind (meaning "care
e
about"); recognize; seem; have (meaning
Verbs
"own"); prefer; doubt; consist of; mean
Dyna
eat; drink; go; type; read; write; listen; speak; watch; say; grow
mic
; work; sleep; cook; talk
Verbs
Dynamic verbs, as you can see from the table above, can be used in the simple
and perfect forms (plays, played, has played, had played) as well as the
continuous or progressive forms (is playing, was playing, has been playing, had
been playing).
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the
exercises.
Preset perfect simple and progressive
Present Perfect Simple – Present Perfect Progressive
Form
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of form of 'have' + been + verb + ing
irregular verbs
Example: Example:
I / you / we / they have spoken I / you / we / they have been speaking
he / she / it has spoken he / she / it has been speaking
regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed
Example:
I / you / we / they have worked
he / she / it has worked
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
when the final letter is e, only add d silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: Example: come - coming
love - loved aber: agree - agreeing
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
is doubled
Example: sit - sitting
Example: after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English
admit - admitted (but not in American English).
final l is always doubled in British English (not in Example: travel - travelling
American English)
final ie becomes y.
Example:
Example: lie - lying
travel - travelled
after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not
after a vowel)
Example:
worry - worried
but: play - played
See also explanations on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive
Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going
on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a
difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that
an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect
Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.
Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been
going on yet?
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
Duration (how long)
Result (what / how much / how often)
I have been writing for an hour.
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.
Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the
progressive form).
state: be, have (for possession only)
Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.
senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch
Example: He has touched the painting.
brain work: believe, know, think, understand
Example: I have known him for 3 years.
Emphasis on completion or duration?
Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course
(how has somebody spent his time)?
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
Emphasis on duration
Emphasis on completion
I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent my
I have done my homework. (Meaning: My time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)
homework is completed now.)
Result or side effect?
Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the
action had an unwanted side effect?
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
unwanted side effect
desired result
Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when
I have washed the car. (Result: I was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)
The car is clean now.)
Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?
In negative sentences: Do you want to express how much time has past since the
last time the action took place or since the beginning of the action?
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
since the last time since the beginning
I haven't played that game for years. (Meaning: I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10
It's years ago that I last played that game.) minutes. (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I started to play
that game.)
Permanent or temporary?
If an action is still going on and we want to express that it is a permanent situation,
we would usually use the Present Perfect Simple. For temporary situations, we
would prefer the Present Perfect Progressive. This is not a rule, however, only a
tendency.
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
permanent temporary
James has lived in this town for 10 James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only
years. (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or
this town.) two years.)
Signal words
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive
how often how long
... times since
for
