Colégio Positivo – 1M – Stative and Dynamic Verbs

Quick Summary on Dynamic and Stative Verbs

 Dynamic and stative verbs represent two opposite types of verbs; while dynamic verbs indicate physical action
(like jump or play), stative verbs convey a state of being or condition (like prefer or have).
○ The horse jumped over the railing. (Dynamic verb)

○ Do you prefer still or sparkling water? (Stative verb)

 A major difference between dynamic and stative verbs is that stative verbs cannot be used in progressive

(continuous) tenses.

 Some verbs can be both dynamic and stative, depending on the context of the sentence.

○ I have a lot to tell you. (Stative)

○ I am having lunch at 12 PM if you want to join. (Dynamic)

What Are Dynamic Verbs?

These are the type of verbs that represent physical action or processes. A large percentage of these verbs
are easy to identify because they occur externally. Additionally, dynamic verbs can be defined as motivated
actions that have a clear beginning and end.

I train every morning. / Samantha has discussed the details with the team. / Chloe accidentally gave the
documents to the wrong person.

Dynamic verbs can be used in the simple and perfect tenses or in the progressive aspect.
I am training with Jordan tomorrow morning. / Samantha has been discussing the details with our
boss. / Chloe will be giving me the documents tomorrow morning.

However, some dynamic verbs don’t occur externally. They describe mental or internal actions.
The teams had to endure the weather. / I needed to consider the options. / Can you guess my favorite
number?

Here’s a list of a few examples of dynamic verbs:

Laugh, eat, sit, excel, gamble, dance, enjoy, compare, sing, employ, whisper, talk, ignite, pollute, litter,
shake, examine, remove, applaud, estimate.

What Are Stative Verbs?

Stative verbs describe a state of being or existence, like to be or to have. These verbs can also express a
feeling (I love) or a physical state (there was). Unlike dynamic verbs, stative verbs tend to be subjective,
and have no definitive start or end.
Roxanne appears frustrated. / I hated the presentation. / I have known about that for a while.
Unlike dynamic verbs, stative verbs cannot be used in progressive forms (to be + ING form of verb).
For example, the following sentence would be grammatically incorrect:
Roxanne is appearing frustrated.
Roxanne appears frustrated.
He is wanting to speak with them.
He wants to speak with them.

Here are a few examples of verbs that are commonly stative:

Adore, realize, seem, like, dislike, hate, know, believe, involve, matter, understand, want, wish, mean,
deny, detest, need, know

What About Verbs That Can Be Dynamic and Stative?

Dynamic verbs tend to be motivated actions with a clear beginning and end, whereas stative verbs are
usually subjective and have no definitive start or end. Consider the following examples:

I am thinking we should study some more. / I think I failed my exam.

In the first example, thinking can be described as a motivated action. Moreover, it’s a temporary action, so
there’s a beginning and end to the thinking the subject is doing.
However, in the second example, think can be considered an action that’s subjective and there’s no clear
beginning or end; therefore, it’s a stative verb in this context. Again, if the verb is being used in the
progressive tense, then it’s dynamic.

Fill in the gaps with the verb in brackets in the present simple or continuous form. Use the simple form
with stative verbs and the continuous form with dynamic verbs.

Joe __________________ (believe) in ghosts.

John _________________ (think) about his future.
Ali _________________ (have) three sisters.
It ___________________ (smell) like something is burning.
The boys _______________ (play) with their new toys.
Sara _________________ (look) like she's been crying.
I _______________ (want) another coffee.
We _______________ (have) a really good time.
Alice and Peter _________________ (need) to go to the shop.
The shop _____________________ (be) usually very busy.
The baby __________________ (sleep) on the sofa.
Extra online

https://www.eltbase.com/quiz/075_01.htm Ask students to open the exercise and do it online.

Decide whether the verb is stative or dynamic and choose the correct form. Explanations are
given in the feedback.