ENGLISH TENSES (ACTIVE)

The following is the list of most common stative verbs that are not used in the Сontinuous form:

a) verbs denoting physical perceptions: to hear, to notice, to see;

b) verbs denoting emotions: to adore, to care for, to detest, to
dislike, to hate, to like, to love, to respect;

c) verbs denoting wish: to desire, to want, to wish;

d) verbs denoting mental processes: to admire (= to be of high opinion), to appreciate, to assume, to believe (= to consider), to con­sider (= to regard), to doubt, to expect (= to suppose), to feel (= to consider), to imagine, to know, to mind (= to object), to perceive, to presume, to recall, to recognize, to recollect, to regard, to remember, to suppose, to think = ( to consider), to trust, to understand;

e) relationalverbs: to apply, to be, to belong, to concern, to con­sist, to contain, to depend, to deserve, to differ, to equal, to fit, to have, to hold (= to contain), to include, to involve, to lack, to mat­ter, to need, to owe, to own, to possess, to remain, to require, to re­semble, to result, to signify, to suffice;

f) some other verbs: to agree, to allow, to appear (= to seem), to astonish, to claim, to consent, to displease, to envy, to fait to do, to feel (as: The surface feels rough), to find, to forbid, to forgive, to intend, to inter­est, to keep doing, to manage to do, to mean, to object, to please, to prefer, to prevent, to puzzle, to realize, to refuse, to remind, to satisfy, to seem, to smell (as: The soup smells(tastes) nice), to sound (as: The song sounds nice), to succeed, to suit, to surprise, to taste to tend, to value.

However, some stative verbswhen they change their meaning can be used in the Continuous form.

1.When the verb to be is close to to behave in meaning.

Example: "Are you seeing Clare tonight?" she asked.

He said, "I'm seeingyou home."

"Are you going in the water?" Sybil said. "I'm seriously con­sideringit."

Jane turned away. "The thing to do," she said, "is to pay no attention to him. He isjust being" silly."

2. When to have is part of set phrases, as in: to have, a bath, to have a good holiday, to have a party, to have a smoke, to have a walk, to have coffee, to have dinner, to have something done, to have to do something, to have trouble and the like.

Example: "Where is Mr Franklin?" he asked, "He's having a bath. He'll be right out."

3. When the ac­tions indicated by these verbs express great intensity of feeling.

Example: "You'll find it a great change to live in New York." "At the present time I'm hating it," she said in an expressionless tone.

"Strange," he said, "how, when people are either very young or very old, they are always wanting to do something they should not do."

Dear Amy, I've settled in now and I am liking my new life very much.

4. When some durative verbs, for example, verbs of bodily sensa­tion (to ache, to feel, to hurt, to itch, etc.) and such verbs as to wear, to look (= to seem), to shine and others are used with little difference in meaning.

Example: You're looking well, cousin Joan. (You look quite happy today.)

"I know what you are feeling, Roy," she said. "We all feel ex­actly the same."

In subordinate clauses of time, condition and conces­sion when the action refers to the future
we use the Present Indefinite instead of the Future Indefinite.

1. Clauses of time referring to the future may be introduced by the conjunctions when, while, till, until, before, after, as soon as and once,

Example: She won't go to bed till you come. I shall have a look at his paper when I getit.

2. Clauses of condition are introduced by the conjunctions if, un­less, on condition (that), provided (providing) and in case.

Example:If you send me a line to my club, it'll be forwarded at once. But I must have the pills, in case she feels worse.

3. Clauses of concession are introduced by the conjunctions even if, even though, no matter how, whenever, whatever, however, etc.

Example: Even if he hates me I shall never do him any harm. I'llhave dinner whenever it's ready.

But:In clauses other than those of time and condition, the Future Indefinite is used even if these clauses are introduced by the conjunctions if and when,

Example: I wonder if the tape recorder will eventually replace the record player. The important thing to know is when the book will come out.