Do you know why it is wrong to say ‘I am agreeing with you’ in a meeting? In (business) English, there are some verbs that usually do not come with ‘ing’ forms. We called them stative verbs (or state verbs).
What are stative verbs?The name ‘stative’ tells you that they are verbs that do not move. What does that mean? It means when you use them you don’t use the ‘ing’ form:
e.g. I agree with your Plan B.
(not: I am agreeing with Plan B.)
Why do they not move?
You may wonder why they do not move. Or why is ‘ing’ form not used?
One simple reason. They show a process that do not have a clear ending. What does that mean? It means when you ‘agree’ with your co-worker, you do not know when the process of agreeing ends, right?
But for non-stative (dynamic) verbs like ‘Are you kidding?’ The process of kidding your co-worker will end, sooner or later. Moreover, dynamic verbs usually come with actions and so they are also called action verbs. Common action verbs for business include:
‘He is running a superhero company with his friends.’
‘Mr Superhero is working on the project now.’
Types of Stative Verbs (in business)
As far as business is concerned, there are usually 4 types of stative verbs:
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1. Likes / dislikes
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Our boss approved her proposal.
(Not: Our boss was approving her proposal.)
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2. Possession
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Our department has 5 photocopiers.
(Not: Our department is having 5 photocopier.
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3. Thinking
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I think / believe / know / feel you are right.
(Not: I am thinking / believing / knowing / feeling you are right.
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4. Talking about things
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The computer costs a lot.
(Not: The computer is costing a lot.)
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