Stative Verbs: State or Action?

One verb, two meanings

Level 3 — Grammar Practice

One Verb, Two Meanings

Verb	STATE — simple present	ACTION — am / is / are + verb-ing
have	I have a car. = I own it.	I am having dinner. = I am eating it now.
think	I think she is smart. = my opinion	I am thinking about buying a new car. = my mind is working on it now

STATE meaning: what you own, your opinion, or what something is like → simple present
ACTION meaning: something a person does on purpose, happening now → am / is / are + verb-ing

Same verb. The meaning decides the form.

have and think

Verb	STATE meaning	ACTION meaning
have	own, family, how someone looks She has long hair.	eat, drink, do an activity He is having a snack.
think	an opinion Do you think it will rain?	use your mind I am thinking of a number.

Quick check: think + a sentence = opinion (state).
think about / think of = using your mind (action).

Exercise 1 — have or think?

Click a, b, c, or d.

1. Our town ____ a beautiful beach.

2. Come and sit with us! We ____ coffee on the patio right now.

3. Jin ____ math is easier than English.

4. Why are you so quiet? What ____ you thinking about?

5. Do you ____ a pen I can use?

6. Right now, Sofia ____ of a name for her bakery.

taste, smell, look, feel

Verb	STATE: the thing has a quality	ACTION: a person does it on purpose
taste	Honey tastes sweet.	Grandpa is tasting the pie.
smell	Fresh popcorn smells amazing.	My dog is smelling the grass.
look	Your garden looks lovely.	Tom is looking at the clock.
feel	Wool feels itchy.	The mom is feeling her son's forehead.

Quick check: thing + verb + adjective = state.
a person + verb + something, on purpose, now = action.

Exercise 2 — Sense Verbs

Say the simple present or present continuous form. Then click to check.

1. Your shampoo ____ (smell) like apples.

smells — the shampoo has a smell, a state.

2. Right now, the tailor ____ (feel) the cloth to check its quality.

is feeling — touching on purpose, happening now.

3. At the moment, Jamal ____ (taste) his homemade salsa.

is tasting — trying the flavor, happening now.

4. That jacket ____ (look) expensive.

looks — look = seem, a state.

5. The kitchen floor ____ (feel) sticky.

feels — the floor has a texture, a state.

6. Put that down! You ____ (look) at your phone while you drive!

are looking — using your eyes on purpose, happening now.

Now or Every Day?

An ACTION meaning happening now → am / is / are + verb-ing
An ACTION meaning as a habit → simple present

We have dinner at seven every night. (habit)

I think about my family every day. (habit)

Look for now words: now, right now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!

Exercise 3 — Correct the Verb

The CAPITALIZED verb is wrong. Say the correct form. Then click to check.

1. Right now, my cousins HAVE a picnic at the beach.

are having — have a picnic = an activity, happening now.

2. Sam IS HAVING a new job at the bank.

has — have a job = a state.

3. My uncle IS THINKING soccer is more exciting than baseball.

thinks — an opinion, a state.

4. Look! The police dog SMELLS the suitcases.

is smelling — sniffing on purpose, happening now.

5. They ARE HAVING a house in Mexico.

have — have a house = own it, a state.

6. Right now, Dad THINKS about a gift for Mom.

is thinking — think about = using his mind, happening now.

Exercise 4 — Mixed Practice

Click a, b, c, or d.

1. Can you help me? I ____ for a gas station.

2. These chips ____ too salty.

3. Right now, everyone ____ lunch in the break room.

4. What ____ you think of my new glasses?

5. Open the window. The garbage ____ terrible.

6. Close your eyes. Right now, you ____ a mystery object in the bag.

Summary

Verb	STATE — simple present	ACTION — am / is / are + verb-ing
have	own, family	eat, drink, do an activity
think	an opinion	use your mind (think about / of)
taste / smell	the thing has a flavor or smell	a person tries it on purpose
look / feel	seem, have a texture	use your eyes or hands on purpose

End of Deck — Great work!