STATE AND ACTIVITY VERBS

STATE VERBS:

Verbs related to activities of the mind:

•         admit, agree, believe, know, mean, prefer, realise, remember, think, understand, want 

Verbs related to emotions: 

•         adore, care, like, dislike, love, hate, hope

Having or being: 

•         appear, be, belong, contain, have, include, need, seem, possess, own

Verbs related to senses: 

•         feel, hear, look, see, smell, sound, taste… 

Some state verbs can also refer to an activity. In this meaning they can be used in a continuous tense.  

HAVE

•         We have a second-hand car. (have = possess > state) 

•         We are having some tea. (have = drink > activity)

THINK

•         I think it’s a great idea. (think = believe > state) 

•         I’m thinking about my exam. (think = consider > activity) 

Verbs related to senses are followed by adjectives, not adverbs.

•         The coffee smells great.

•         You look nice.

•         That soup tastes awful.

•         Their new song sounds fantastic.

Read more:

http://www.grammaring.com/state-verbs-and-action-verbs
http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentContinuous1H.html