STATIVE VERBS
Some English verbs have stative meanings. They describe states : comditions or situations that exist. When verbs have stative meanings, they are usually nost used in progressive tenses.
1- Yum! This food tastes good. I like it very much.
2- (Incorrect) : This food is tasting good. I am liking it very much
In (1) tastes and like have stative meanings. Each describes a state that exists.
Am verbsuch as taste has a stative meaning, but also a progressive meaning
3- The chef is in his kitchen. He is tasting the sauce.
In (3) Tasting describes the action of the chef putting somethingin his mouth and actively testing its falvor (progressive).
4- It tastes too salty.
In (4) tastes describes the person's awarness of the quality of the food (stative).
5- He doesn't like it.
A verb such as like has a stative meaning. It is rarely, if ever, used in progressive tenses.
In (5) :It is incorrect to say : He isn't liking it.
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