A Verb is a doing word. In modern English grammar, Verbs are divided into two broad categories. They are State Verbs and Event Verbs.
A verb may tell us: What a person or thing is (Mr Adam is a doctor), What a person or thing has ( Lisa has a pet dog), and What a person or thing does (Ronaldo kicks the football).
State Verbs and Event Verbs
State Verbs
State of Perceiving – see, hear, feel, smell, etc.
State of Mind and Emotional State – love, forget, like, hate, wish, etc.
State of Being – be, remain
State of Relationship – have, own, owe
Event Verbs
Single Event – buy, sell, etc.
Repeated Event – wash, walk, etc.
Sentences With State Verbs
State of Perceiving
VERB
SENTENCES
see
You are a fool, I see.
hear
I hear a buzzing sound.
feel
Monalisa feels annoyed at your behaviour.
smell
The perfume smells sweet.
taste
Honey tastes sweet.
State of Mind and Emotional State
VERB
SENTENCES
love
Everybody loves his parents.
hate
One should not hate the poor.
like
Monisha likes to wear a white saree on the day of Saraswati Puja.
believe
We believe that you are telling the truth.
forget
I forget his pet name.
State of Being
VERB
SENTENCES
be
She is a very brave girl. We are Americans.
remain
I remain silent in such cases. John remains dumb all along.
State of Relationship
VERB
SENTENCES
have
I have a brother and two sisters.
own
Do you own a motorcycle?
owe
You owe your own father.
belong to
This property belongs to me.
deserve
She deserves praise.
Sentences With Event Verbs
Event Verb of a Single Event
VERB
SENTENCES
buy
I bought a mango from the market.
Event Verb of Repeated Events
VERB
SENTENCES
buy
I buy mangoes from the market regularly.
wash
I wash my clothes thrice a week.
Difference Between State Verbs and Event Verbs
State Verbs are used only in Non-Progressive forms, but Event Verbs are used in both Progressive and Non-Progressive forms.
VERB
PROGRESSIVE
NON-PROGRESSIVE
State Verb
He is hating the poor. – Not Possible
He hates the poor. – Possible
Event Verb
He is going to school. – Possible
He goes to school. – Possible
NOTE: Sometimes State Verbs may be used in Progressive forms, but then the Verbs are changed into Event Verbs and do not remain State Verbs.
