|  | Non-Action Verbs | | | Some verbs cannot be used in the progressive tenses. They are called non-action verbs.
Non-action verbs indicate state, sense, desire, possession, or opinion. The most common
non-action verbs are: | be* | seem | appear* | | | (existence) | | look* | sound* | smell* | taste* | feel* | (senses) | | like | want | prefer | love* | | (desire) | | have* | own | possess | | | (possession) | | think* | believe | consider* | | | (opinion) | Note the usage in the following sentences: | Mr. Tactful is seeming like a nice guy. | (Wrong!) | | Mr. Tactful seems like a nice guy. | (Correct) | | This salad is tasting delicious. | (Wrong!) | | This salad tastes delicious. | (Correct) | | I am liking banana cream pie. | (Wrong!) | | I like banana cream pie. | (Correct) | Some verbs have both action and non-action meanings. They are indicated by an
asterisk* in the table above. The situation determines whether the action or non-action
form of the verb is used. | Those flowers look beautiful. | (Non-action) | | Flora is looking out the window. | (Action) | | I think that’s a great idea. | (Non-action) | | I am thinking about my upcoming speech. | (Action) | | We have a brand new car. | (Non-action) | | We are having a party this weekend. | (Action) | | Craig is a real estate agent. | (Non-action) | | Billy is being naughty today. | (Action) | | | |
