Stative verbs describe a state, not an action. They often show feelings, thoughts, possession, relationships, and the senses. They usually describe something that is true, felt, or known, rather than something that is happening as an activity.

Many stative verbs belong to clear meaning groups. These groups help you recognize them in sentences. A verb can be stative when it describes a condition or mental state.

Word or Phrase	Definition
know	It describes having information in your mind.
love	It describes a feeling.
belong	It describes a relationship between a person or thing and something else.
need	It describes necessity.
own	It describes possession.
seem	It describes appearance or impression.
understand	It describes mental knowledge.
prefer	It describes a choice in your mind.

Stative verbs usually do not appear in continuous forms such as the present continuous or past continuous. English often uses the simple form instead because the verb describes a state. This is the usual pattern, but some verbs change meaning in continuous forms.

Rule
Use the simple form with a stative verb when it describes a state or condition.
Do not use a continuous form when the meaning is possession, thought, feeling, or relation.
Check the meaning of the verb first, because the same verb may be stative in one sentence and dynamic in another.

Some verbs can be stative or dynamic. The meaning changes with the context, so the form can change too. This is an area where usage can vary, and speakers do not always agree in every situation.

Word or Phrase	Definition
think	It is stative for opinion or belief, but dynamic for the process of considering something.
have	It is stative for possession, but dynamic in some expressions such as daily activities.
see	It is stative for sight, but dynamic for meeting or arranging to meet someone.
taste	It is stative for flavor, but dynamic for checking flavor.
feel	It is stative for a general state, but dynamic when it means touching or actively checking.
be	It is usually stative, but it can be dynamic when it describes temporary behavior, especially in informal English.

Stative verbs are often used in the present simple and past simple. These forms describe states that are true now or were true before. Subject and time still control the verb form in the normal way.

Subject	Form
I	know
you	know
he she it	knows
we	know
they	know

In the past simple, stative verbs describe a state, feeling, thought, or possession in an earlier time. The meaning stays stative even when the time changes. Regular and irregular past forms depend on the verb.

Verb	Form
know	knew
have	had
love	loved
belong	belonged
feel	felt

You can now identify many stative verbs by their meaning and use them in simple forms. You can also notice when a verb changes from a state meaning to an action meaning. This helps you choose between simple and continuous forms more accurately.