Non-continuous Verbs

Mental and Emotional States	believe, dislike, doubt, imagine, know, like, love, hate, prefer, realize, recognize, remember, suppose, understand, want, wish	Examples She dislikes that boy. NOT She is disliking that boy. Jack prefers going out for dinner tonight. NOT Jack is preferring going out for dinner tonight. I recognize you! NOT I'm recognizing you!
Sense	appear, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste	Examples It tastes strange. NOT It is tasting strange. Do you hear that? NOT Are you hearing that?
Communication	agree, astonish, deny, disagree, impress, mean, please, promise, satisfy, surprise	Examples You astonish me! NOT You are astonishing me! I'm afraid I disagree with you. NOT I'm afraid I am disagreeing with you.
Other States	be, belong, concern, consist, contain, cost, depend, deserve, fit, include, involve, lack, matter, need, owe, own, possess	Examples It depends on how much it costs. NOT It is depending on how much it is costing. She said it involved a lot of work. NOT She said it was involving a lot of work. It doesn't matter. NOT It isn't mattering.

There are also a number of verbs that don't take the continuous forms in one meaning but DO take the continuous forms in other meanings. Here are some of the most important:

Non-Continuous Meanings	Continuous Meanings
feel = 'have an opinion' - He feels he should get a second chance.	feel = 'feel physically' - I'm feeling awful this afternoon.
see = 'understand' - I see what you mean.	see = 'visit' - She's seeing a doctor this morning.
think = 'have an opinion' - I think we should leave immediately!	think = 'use the brain' - He's thinking hard about the problem.
appear = 'look like' - That appears to be stale.	appear = 'be on stage / perform' - Jack Daniels is appearing at the Paramount tonight.
look = 'seem' - It looks impossible!	look = 'stare at' - I'm looking at that strange man.
taste = 'have a taste' - That tastes yummy	taste = 'use the mouth' - The cook is tasting the sauce!
be = ‘auxiliary verb’ She is a nurse	Be =behave, act She’s being rude these days (It means she is behaving rude at the moment)

Let’s Practice

1 Read the paragraph and answer the questions:

Brian is a doctor. He looks after sick people. He usually gets up at 6.00 o’clock. Today he is late, it is 6.30 and he is still in bed.

He usually goes to work by train but today he is driving to work. He arrives at work at 6.30 every morning but it is 7.30 now and he is still driving.

It’s 12.00 o’clock now. He always has his lunch at 12.00 but today he isn’t having lunch at 12.00, he is looking after his sick patients.

It is half past seven now, Brian is watching TV. He usually watches TV at half past seven because his favourite programme starts at half past seven.

Brian has his dinner at 8.30 everyday and he is having dinner now.

It is 12 pm now Brian is going to bed. He always goes to bed at midnight.

1. What does Brian do? _________________________________________________

2. What time does he usually get up? _______________________________________

3. How does he usually go to work? ________________________________________

4. Why is he driving to work today? _________________________________________

5. What time does he arrive at work every day? ________________________________

6. When does he always have his lunch? _____________________________________

7. What is he doing at 12.00 today?__________________________________________

8. Why does he usually watch TV at 7.30? ____________________________________

9. What time does he go to bed? ____________________________________________

10. What time is he going to bed now? ________________________________________

2 Some people complain about complexities of normal life. They think that their life isn’t exciting enough. Talk about your daily routine. Do you live an action-packed life?

Use the following verbs:

wake up, get up, take a shower, get dressed, make breakfast, have breakfast, leave home, take a bus, drive, have classes, have lunch, go home, get home, watch TV, do homework, read books, surf the Internet, go out with friends, do some housework, go to bed, etc.

Remember to add the appropriate time expressions: in the morning, at noon, after lunch, before midnight, at 3 pm, etc.

3 Complete the sentences with the present simple or present continuous form
of the verbs in brackets.

1. She________(run) because she's late for her lesson.

2. Our teacher always_______(give) us lots of homework.

3. We_______(not want) to go to the concert.

4. What time________(you / meet) Pete tomorrow?

5. I_________(not work) today. I'm on holiday.

6. People________(speak) English in Jamaica.

7. Archie_______(not use) his computer at the moment.

8. _________(Tony / live) near the park?