Non-Action Verbs
Some verbs cannot be used in the progressive tenses. They are called non-action verbs.
Non-action verbs indicate state, sense, desire, possession, or opinion. The most common non-action verbs are:
| be* | seem | appear* | (existence) | ||
| look* | sound* | smell* | taste* | feel* | (senses) |
| like | want | prefer | love* | (desire) | |
| have* | own | possess | (possession) | ||
| think* | believe | consider* | (opinion) |
Note the usage in the following sentences:
| Mr. Tactful is seeming like a nice guy. | (Wrong) |
| Mr. Tactful seems like a nice guy. | (Correct) |
| This salad is tasting delicious. | (Wrong) |
| This salad tastes delicious. | (Correct) |
| I am liking banana cream pie. | (Wrong) |
| I like banana cream pie. | (Correct) |
Some verbs have both action and non-action meanings. They are indicated by an asterisk* in the table above. The situation determines whether the action or non-action form of the verb is used.
| Those flowers look beautiful. | (Non-action) |
| Flora is looking out the window. | (Action) |
| I think that’s a great idea. | (Non-action) |
| I am thinking about my upcoming speech. | (Action) |
| We have a brand new car. | (Non-action) |
| We are having a party this weekend. | (Action) |
| Craig is a real estate agent. | (Non-action) |
| Billy is being naughty today. | (Action) |
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