Non-Continuous Verbs Many verbs are used in continuous tenses.

Here are some examples: Present continuous - I'm working at the moment. Past continuous - Jack was cooking dinner when I arrived. Future continuous - I will be playing tennis this time tomorrow. Present perfect continuous - She's been working here for three years. Generally, continuous (or progressive) tenses are used to describe what is happening at a particular moment in time. he !ocus when using continuous tenses is always on an action in progress. However, there are some important exceptions to using continuous tenses. Most importantly, there are a number o! common non-continuous verbs that are never or rarely used with continuous !orms. hese verbs !all into a !ew categories: Mental and Emotional States "elieve, disli#e, doubt, imagine, #now, li#e, love, hate, pre!er, reali$e, recogni$e, remember, suppose understand, want, wish Examples %he disli#es that boy. &' %he is disli#ing that boy. (ac# pre!ers going out !or dinner tonight. &' (ac# is pre!erring going out !or dinner tonight. ) recogni$e you* &' )+m recogni$ing you* Sense ,ppear, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste Examples ) saw him when the train arrived. &' ) was seeing him when the train arrived. )t tastes strange. &' )t is tasting strange. -id you hear that. &' /ere you hearing that. Communication ,gree, astonish, deny, disagree, impress, mean, please promise, satis!y, surprise Examples

0ou astonish me* &' 0ou are astonishing me* )+m a!raid ) disagree with you. &' )+m a!raid ) am disagreeing with you. ) meant to tell him yesterday a!ternoon. &' ) was meaning to tell him yesterday a!ternoon. Other States "e, belong, concern, consist, contain, cost, depend, deserve, !it, include, involve, lac# matter, need, owe, own, possess Examples )t depends on how much it costs. &' )t is depending on how much it is costing. %he said it involved a lot o! wor#. &' %he said it was involving a lot o! wor#. )t doesn+t matter. &' )t isn+t mattering. here are also a number o! verbs that don+t ta#e the continuous !orms in one meaning but -' ta#e the continuous !orms in other meanings. Here are some o! the most important: Non-Continuous Meanings !eel 1 +have an opinion+ - He !eels he should get a second chance. see 1 +understand+ - ) see what you mean. thin# 1 +have an opinion+ - ) thin# we should leave immediately. appear 1 +loo# li#e+ - hat appears to be stale. loo# 1 +seem+ - )t loo#s impossible* taste 1 +have a taste+ - hat tastes yummy* Continuous Meanings !eel 1 +!eel physically+ - )+m !eeling aw!ul this a!ternoon. see 1 +visit+ - %he+s seeing a doctor this morning. thin# 1 +use the brain+ - He+s thin#ing hard about the problem. appear 1 +be on stage 2 per!orm+ - (ac# -aniels is per!orming at the 3aramount tonight. loo# 1 +stare at+ - )+m loo#ing at that strange man. taste 1 +use the mouth+ - he coo# is tasting the sauce*