Grammar Notes - Stative Verbs
Stative Verbs
Point 1: Stative verbs express feelings and opinions. They are followed by an adjective.
- The party sounds fun.
- This soup smells delicious.
- This test sounds hard.
- This pasta tastes great!
- She feels sad today!
Point 2: Stative verbs use verbs about the five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and sound.
- That sounds difficult.
- This book looks interesting.
- He feels better now.
- This pizza tastes terrible.
- 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.
- This test sounds hard.
- I think this test will be hard.
- The movie sounds interesting.
- I think the movie will be interesting.
- This soup looks good.
- I think this soup will be delicious.
Point 5: Stative verbs often can be replaced with a Be verb and keep the same meaning.
- This record sounds old.
- This record is old.
- I feel sick.
- I am sick.
- This soup tastes delicious.
- This soup is delicious.