Stative Verbs

Stative verbs are verbs that show a state and not an action.

You can group verbs that show a state in the following ways:-
Verbs that show thought - believe, doubt, know, undertand etc.
Verbs that show possession - have, own, want, contain etc.
Verbs that show senses - hear, see, smell etc.
Verbs that show emotion - love, hate, want, need etc. 

There are regular and irregular stative verbs. But when they are used to show a state they do not take the -ing form.

For Example:
  • I like ice cream. (Never "I am liking...")
  • I know a lot of English words. (Never "I am knowing...")
However, some verbs can be used to show an action or a state.
For Example:
  • I think English is easy. = It is my opinion.
  • I'm thinking of joining a new course. = I am considering it.