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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)