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Nsfs2 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

State verbs

Hi,
Can we count verbs like 'win,start,pass,die,lose,break,finish' as state verbs?

I have noticed that these are seldom used in progressive tenses.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

No. Such verbs are not commonly used in the progressive form because they often refer to instantanous actions that have no duration. They are, however, actions/events/, not states, and it is possible to suggest duration: Who is winning that battle in the courtroom do you think?

— Fivejedjon

  • No.
  • Such verbs are not commonly used in the progressive form because they often refer to instantanous actions that have no duration.
  • They are, however, actions/events/, not states, and it is possible to suggest duration: Who is winning that battle in the courtroom do you think?
  • Shhh!
  • the play is starting.
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4 Answers
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No. Such verbs are not commonly used in the progressive form because they often refer to instantanous actions that have no duration. They are, however, actions/events/, not states, and it is possible to suggest duration:

Who is winning that battle in the courtroom do you think?
Shhh! the play is starting.
The Queen's helicopter is passing over us as I speak.
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nsfs2Can we count verbs like 'win,start,pass,die,lose,break,finish' as state verbs?
Not state verbs, but achievement verbs. The progressive tenses of achievement verbs (in contrast to many other verbs) do not indicate that the action of the verb is actually going on -- the action is too short -- but that the action of the verb is going to happen soon, that th
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