Stative Verbs

Point 1: Stative verbs express feelings and opinions. They are followed by an adjective.

1. The party sounds fun.
2. This soup smells delicious.
3. This test sounds hard.
4. This pasta tastes great!
5. She feels sad today!

Point 2: Stative verbs use verbs about the five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and sound.

1. That sounds difficult.
2. This book looks interesting.
3. He feels better now.
4. This pizza tastes terrible.
5. This milk smells old.

Point 3: Stative verbs are special because the object is an adjective, not a noun or pronoun, like in transitive verbs.

(A) Can you make vegetable curry? (Transitive)

(B) No, it looks difficult. (Stative)

(B) But, I eat it all the time. (Transitive)

(A) Yeah, it smells and tastes great. (Stative)

(A) I can teach you how to make it. (Transitive)

(B) Awesome! That sounds fun! (Stative)

Point 4: Stative verbs look and sound often show a prediction for a future opinion about something.

1. This test sounds hard.
2. I think this test will be hard.
3. The movie sounds interesting.
4. I think the movie will be interesting.
5. This soup looks good.
6. I think this soup will be delicious.

Point 5: Stative verbs often can be replaced with a Be verb and keep the same meaning.

1. This record sounds old.
2. This record is old.
3. I feel sick.
4. I am sick.
5. This soup tastes delicious.
6. This soup is delicious.