English verbs split into two broad groups based on what they describe. Action verbs (also called dynamic verbs) describe activities and events that happen over time — run, eat, write, build, jump. Stative verbs describe states that simply exist and don't change moment to moment — know, love, own, believe, prefer, seem.
The distinction matters because of one practical rule: stative verbs usually do not take the -ing form.
The reason is straightforward. The -ing form signals a process in progress, and a state is not a process — it just exists. You can be in the middle of running or building, but you cannot be in the middle of knowing or belonging.
Categories of stative verbs
Most stative verbs fall into one of five groups. Knowing the groups is more useful than memorising a long list — once you recognise the type of meaning, the rule applies on its own.
Thinking and opinions
know, believe, think (= believe), understand, remember, forget, mean, suppose, doubt, imagine, recognise, realise, expect.
Feelings and emotions
love, like, hate, prefer, want, need, wish, care, mind.
Senses and perception
see, hear, smell, taste, feel, notice, seem, appear, look (like), sound (like).
Possession and relation
have (= own), own, possess, belong, consist of, contain, include, involve.
Being and measurement
be, exist, weigh, cost, measure, equal, matter, depend on.
Verbs with two faces
Some verbs are stative in one meaning and dynamic in another. The form of the sentence changes depending on which meaning you want.
have
Have is stative when it means own or possess. It becomes dynamic when it is part of an expression about an activity — have lunch, have a shower, have a party, have a good time.
think
Think is stative when it means believe or have an opinion. It is dynamic when it means use your mind to consider something.
see
See is stative when it means perceive with your eyes or understand. It is dynamic when it means meet or have a relationship with.
taste, smell, feel, look
These verbs are stative when they describe a quality of something. They are dynamic when they describe the deliberate action of perceiving.
be
Be is normally stative, but it becomes dynamic when it means behaving or acting in a temporary way.
The continuous form here always carries a sense of "only now, not normally" — which is exactly the kind of process meaning the simple form cannot give.
A note on spoken English
You will sometimes hear stative verbs in the -ing form in advertising and casual speech: I'm loving it, She's really wanting that job. This is a marked, expressive use — the speaker pushes a state into the dynamic frame to make it feel temporary or intense. It is recognised in modern usage, but it sits outside the standard rule and is best avoided in writing or formal speech.
The continuous tenses themselves — when and how to use them — are covered separately. This lesson only sets out which verbs can and cannot enter those forms.
Common mistakes
Thinking and opinions
Feelings and emotions
Senses and perception
Possession and relation
Dual-use verbs (wrong meaning)