Stative Verbs

Why do I need this? As opposed to Action Verbs, Stative Verbs generally do not take the -ing form (although it depends on the precise definition and the context) and are not used in Continuous Tenses. Furthermore, Stative Verbs do not make sense as the head of Imperative clauses, and they are rarely verb complements in the Causative Structure.

Click a column to sort the table by category instead of viewing the words alphabetically.

Verb	Meaning	Role	Valency
ache	Perception	Condition	Intransitive
acknowledge	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
adore	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
agree	Thought	Cognition	Intransitive
amaze	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
amount to	Significance	Trait	Transitive
appear	Perception	Cognition	Linking
appreciate	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
astonish	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
be	Being	Trait	Linking
bear	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
believe	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
belong to	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
care (for)	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
consist of	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
contain	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
continue to	Habit	Trait	Transitive
convey	Significance	Relation	Transitive
cost	Significance	Trait	Transitive
depend (on)	Significance	Relation	Ambitransitive
deserve	Significance	Relation	Transitive
desire	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
despise	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
detest	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
dislike	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
doubt	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
equal	Significance	Relation	Transitive
extend	Stance	Condition	Intransitive
face	Stance	Cognition, Condition	Transitive
fall	Stance	Condition	Linking
fancy	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
feel	Perception	Cognition	Linking
fit	Significance	Condition	Intransitive
forget	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
guess	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
hate	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
have	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
hold	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
hurt	Perception	Condition	Intransitive
identify as	Significance	Trait	Transitive
imagine	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
impress	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
include	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
involve	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
itch	Perception	Condition	Intransitive
keep	Habit	Trait	Transitive
know	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
lack	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
lie	Stance	Condition	Intransitive
like	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
loathe	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
look	Perception	Cognition	Linking
love	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
matter	Significance	Condition	Intransitive
mean	Significance	Trait	Transitive
measure	Significance	Trait	Transitive
mind	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
miss	Inclusion/Possession	Cognition	Transitive
need	Inclusion/Possession	Cognition	Transitive
own	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
pack	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
please	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
possess	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
prefer	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
promise to	Significance	Condition	Transitive
read	Significance	Trait	Intransitive
recall	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
recognize	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
remain	Being	Trait	Linking
remember	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
require	Inclusion/Possession	Relation	Transitive
resemble	Significance	Relation	Transitive
resent	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
run	Stance	Condition	Ambitransitive
satisfy	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
seem	Perception	Cognition	Linking
shock	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
sit	Stance	Condition	Intransitive
smell	Perception	Cognition	Linking
sound	Perception	Cognition	Linking
stand	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive
stand	Stance	Condition	Intransitive
stand for	Stance	Cognition	Transitive
startle	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
stay	Stance	Condition	Linking
stretch	Stance	Condition	Intransitive
suppose	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
surprise	Attitude	Condition, Relation	Ambitransitive
surround	Stance	Condition	Transitive
suspect	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
taste	Perception	Cognition	Linking
tend to	Habit	Trait	Transitive
think	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
understand	Thought	Cognition	Transitive
used to	Habit	Trait	Transitive
want	Inclusion/Possession	Cognition	Transitive
weigh	Significance	Trait	Transitive
wish (for)	Attitude	Cognition	Transitive

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Stative Verbs are notable for the grammar topics that they are NOT used in:

Continuous Tenses: These tenses are all about action, and Stative Verbs are the opposite. Unless they are dynamic, Stative Verbs are not used in Continuous Tenses; you would not say, “I am knowing the answer,” or “The sum is equaling $15.93.” Instead of temporary but unfinished, Stative Verbs are generally either instantaneous or seemingly permanent.
Imperatives: You can’t command someone or something to be in a certain state, like “Taste like cinnamon!” or “Please extend for miles.” While these examples may technically have correct syntax, their semantics are nonsensical (which means that you could say such sentences facetiously).
Causatives: Just as you can’t command a state, you can’t force one either. Stative Verbs don’t work in the Causative structure, as in “She forced the concept understood,” or “I dare you two to resemble each other.”

Keep in mind some of the words on this list may allude to a definition that is lesson common than the one that first comes to mind. For example, ‘sit’ here is not an action, but a state (a stance), as in “The grocery store sits across from the gas station.” Or consider the perception verbs: it’s not ‘smell’ as in the active “Stop and smell the roses,” but as in the passive “Your apartment smells like roses.”

The exceptions to Stative Verbs are when they are dynamic – or changing over time – or when emphasizing that state’s importance in the moment (often accompanied by strong emotions). So we might say, “This plan of your is sounding better and better,” or “OMG, I can’t believe you’re being so annoying right now!”

This list of Stative Verbs is not exhaustive.

Meaning: We’ve categorized Stative Verbs according to their meaning, and the categories we’ve chosen are Attitude, Being, Habit, Inclusion/Possession, Perception, Significance, Stance, and Thought. However, these categories are somewhat arbitrary, and our assortment is subjective. Teachers and learners are welcome to re-categorize them in a way that makes sense to them.

Role: The ‘role’ designation is a broader one, as these categories can apply to many other verbs.

Cognition: the verb conveys the speaker’s or the subject’s state of mind or perceived reality.
Condition: the verb explains the current state or situation that the subject is in.
Relation: the verb identifies another noun that is affected by or connected to the subject.
Trait: the verb relates a lasting or defining characteristic of the subject.

Valency: Valency is the type of verb that dictates what parts of speech (if any) follow the verb to complete the predicate.

Linking Verb: the verb connects the subject to a predicate adjective – or in some cases, a predicate nominal – that provide more information on the state or identity of the subject. Learn more.
Transitive Verb: the verb is followed by a Direct Object, which is a noun that the verb acts upon. That Direct Object may be a noun, pronoun, or Content Clause.
- For the purposes of this list, we also include the possibility of verbals following the verb, such as “The show promises to entertain,” or “I remember purchasing that dress.”
Intransitive Verb: the verb is not followed by a Direct Object, as the verb doesn’t happen to anything else.
Ambitransitive Verb: the verb may be either transitive or intransitive depending on its precise meaning an application. Compare “Those events never fail to impress,” with “That event impressed me.”