Non progressive verbs

Some verbs are not normally used in the progressive (also known as the 'continuous') forms.

1. Verbs describing mental states: believe, doubt, expect, feel (=think or have an opinion), forget, guess, imagine, intend, know, mean, perceive, realize, recall, recognize, recollect, regard, remember, see (=understand), suppose, think (=be of the opinion, have an opinion), trust, understand.

Examples:

• Now everybody knows who has made this discovery. 
• What do you think of the government? (think here = have an opinion) 
• I feel that would be a foolish thing to do. 
• I believe her. 
• He cannot see the joke. (cannot see here = don’t understand…)
• I see your opinion (see here = understand). 
• I don’t understand what you are saying. 

◊ Note that when the word 'think' means to be 'trying to form thoughts' rather than 'having an opinion', it can be used in the continuous tense:

• 'What we do now?' 'Be quiet a minute. I’m thinking.' 

2. Verbs that express feelings and emotions or effects: abhor, adore, appreciate, astonish, care, desire, detest, (dis)like, fear, forgive, hate, impress, loathe, love, mind, prefer, satisfy, value, want, wish:

• I like cheese but I prefer ice-cream. 
• He abhors politics. 
• They hate being late. 
• I value your opinions. 

3. Verbs that describe something that affects the senses: feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste:

• Step aside, we don't see what is written on the blackboard. 
• That soup smells good. 
• Do you hear (now) what they are singing? 

◊ Note that when any of these verbs describes an action, it can be used in continuous tense:

• I am just smelling the flowers; I won’t damage them. 
• Why are you smelling the meat? Is it bad? 

4. Various other verbs, including many that describe states or relationships between things, etc: appear, apply to, be, belong to, concern, consist of, contain, cost, depend on, deserve, equal, feel, fit, have, hold, include, involve, keep, lack, matter, need, owe, own, possess, presuppose, remain (=stay in the state of), require, resemble, seem, signify, sound, weigh:

• The same rules apply to everyone. 
• Those glasses belong to me. 
• Two and four equals six. 
• Do you feel well now? 
• That dress fits you perfectly. 
• This jar holds three litres of liquid. That seems OK. 
• The parcel weighs five kilos. (weigh here = have weight) 

◊ Note that many of these verbs can be used in the progressive form when describe actions rather than states:

• I’m having a bath at the moment. 
• I am feeling (test) if the water isn't too cold. 
• The man is weighing the parcel to see how heavy it is. 
• What is he holding in his hand? 

4. Modal verbs (e. g. must, can, may) have no continuous forms.
◊ Note that 'need' can have future or present perfect continuous (progressive) uses:

• Will you be needing the car this evening? 

◊◊◊ Sometimes non-progressive verbs are used in progressive forms in order to emphasise the idea of change or development:

• These days, more and more people are preferring (or ‘prefer’) to take early retirement. 
• As I get older, I am remembering (or ‘remember’) less and less. 

List of common non-progressive verbs

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