Stative vs Dynamic Verbs

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Scientists have been studying this behaviour for years, and their findings are surprising. Evolutionary biologists say humans have been building this instinct for at least 10,000 years. Societies where strangers cooperated survived longer — trust was not a luxury.

Grammar Reference · Stative vs Dynamic Verbs

Dynamic verbs ✓

Scientists have been studying trust for decades. — ongoing action, use continuous

Stative verbs ✗

I have been knowing her for years. ✗ → I have known her for years. ✓ — no continuous

Common stative verbs

know · love · belong · believe · own · understand · seem — never use been + -ing with these

Common error

She has been wanting to meet you. ✗ → She has wanted to meet you. ✓ — want is stative

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Stative vs Dynamic Verbs

1.How long you ... (work) in civic education?

2.She (know) her neighbour since they were children.

3.The researchers (try) to measure reciprocity for three years.

4.He (belong) to this grassroots group since 2019.

5.We (cooperate) with the collective for several months now.

6.They (believe) in the social contract for as long as anyone can remember.

02Exercise 2 — Find and Correct the Error

find the error · rewrite the sentence

1.She has been owning that café for ten years.

2.How long have you been knowing the difference?

3.They have been believing in civic trust for decades.

4.He has been wanting to meet more acquaintances.

5.We have been understanding the social contract since childhood.

6.The collective have been belonging together since the project started.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Stative vs Dynamic Verbs01EnglishPlans.com