Stative verbs: are you getting it right?

Which sentence describes an established condition rather than an active process?

Lots of B1 learners pause over stative verbs. This short practice page helps you decide whether a verb expresses a state or an action so you select the correct simple or continuous form in conversation and writing: one quick question and the slip to watch for.

Try it

Which sentence describes an established condition rather than an active process?

  1. The regional manager understands the updated safety protocol.
  2. The regional manager is printing the updated safety protocol.
  3. The regional manager is explaining the updated safety protocol.
Show the answer

A. The regional manager understands the updated safety protocol. — Understand describes an ongoing state of knowledge, so it remains in the simple present.

Want more like this? Try the full lesson free.

Common slip

A common slip is choosing “The regional manager is explaining the updated safety protocol”. It sounds close, but the better answer is “The regional manager understands the updated safety protocol”. Read the question again and ask what it is really testing.

Practise it free

Listen, type what you hear and test yourself in the full lesson: Stative Verbs: Choosing the Correct Form on MicroEnglish.

Originally on microenglish.com · Lesson 1557 · All MicroEnglish channels

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