1.2: Action & State verbs

Question 1

Action verbs: What do they do?

Answer 1

Action verbs describe an action and can usually be used in both simple and continuous form.
- Present simple: Don’t shout so loudly!
- Present continuous: My brother is always shouting at me!

Question 2

State verbs: What do they do?

Answer 2

State verbs describe a state rather than an action. They aren’t really used in the present continuous form.

Question 3

There are different types of state verbs, 5 to be exact. Name all of them.

Answer 3

• Feeling/wanting
• Thinking/believing
• Being/appearing
• Possessing/relating
• Sense verbs

Question 4

Name the type of state verbs for the verbs in the following sentences
- I prefer dogs over cats
- I don’t believe in luck
- He appears to be busy
- Something smells good in here
- You don’t belong here!

Answer 4

• Feeling/wanting
• Thinking/believing
• Being/appearing
• Sense verb
• Possessing/relating

Question 5

What type of state verb do these words belong to?
like, love, dislike, hate,
prefer, need, want wish

Answer 5

Verbs of feeling/wanting

Question 6

What type of state verb do these words belong to?
believe, doubt, forget, know,
mean, realise, recognise,
remember, think,
understand

Answer 6

Verbs of thinking/believing

Question 6

What type of state verb do these words belong to?
appear, be, seem

Answer 6

Verbs of being/appearing

Question 7

What type of state verb do these words belong to?
belong, contain, have (got),
own, possess

Answer 7

Verbs of possessing/relating

Question 7

What type of state verb do these words belong to?
hear, see, smell, taste

Answer 7

Sense verbs

Question 8

How to distinguish state and action verbs with one question?

Answer 8

Is it something you can actively be doing?
If so, it’s an action verb (present continuous is possible)
If not, it’s a state verb