Nicht vergessen: Regeln sind Leitlinien – sie sind nur selten absolut.
State Verbs vs Action Verbs
Grammar Explanation
State verbs describe possession, emotions, thoughts, senses, relationships, measurement, value, existence, or appearance. They usually describe a condition rather than a physical activity.
State verbs are usually not used in continuous forms.
Action verbs describe activities and actions such as working, cleaning, driving, opening, writing, eating, studying, or playing.
| Type | Examples | Typical Form |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | have, own, possess, contain, belong | Simple Tense |
| Emotion / Feeling | love, prefer, hate, admire, trust | Simple Tense |
| Thinking / Opinion | know, understand, believe, remember | Simple Tense |
| Sense / Appearance | smell, seem, sound, look | Simple Tense |
| Action Verbs | work, clean, study, open, drive | Simple or Continuous |
❌ I am knowing the answer.
✅ I know the answer.
❌ She is owning two cars.
✅ She owns two cars.
✅ They are cleaning the office now.
1. She ______ a small company. (State: Possession)
owns
a) is owning
b) owns
[Sie besitzt eine kleine Firma.]
2. They ______ the office every Friday. (Action)
clean
a) clean
b) possess
[Sie reinigen jeden Freitag das Büro.]
3. This course ______ ten lessons. (State: Possession)
includes
a) is including
b) includes
[Dieser Kurs umfasst zehn Lektionen.]
4. He ______ emails every morning. (Action)
writes
a) writes
b) belongs
[Er schreibt jeden Morgen E-Mails.]
5. The box ______ old documents. (State: Possession)
contains
a) is containing
b) contains
[Die Schachtel enthält alte Dokumente.]
6. I ______ coffee in the morning. (Emotion)
like
a) like
b) am liking
[Ich mag morgens Kaffee.]
7. She ______ to work by bus. (Action)
goes
a) owns
b) goes
[Sie fährt mit dem Bus zur Arbeit.]
8. We ______ more time. (State: Need)
need
a) need
b) are needing
[Wir brauchen mehr Zeit.]
9. They ______ the new system. (Thinking)
understand
a) are understanding
b) understand
[Sie verstehen das neue System.]
10. He ______ the door before the meeting. (Action)
opens
a) opens
b) consists of
[Er öffnet die Tür vor der Besprechung.]
11. This jacket ______ you well. (Relationship)
suits
a) is suiting
b) suits
[Diese Jacke steht dir gut.]
12. The package ______ five kilos. (Measurement)
weighs
a) weighs
b) is weighing
[Das Paket wiegt fünf Kilo.]
13. The children ______ in the garden. (Action)
play
a) seem
b) play
[Die Kinder spielen im Garten.]
14. The problem still ______. (Existence)
exists
a) exists
b) is existing
[Das Problem existiert noch immer.]
15. She ______ her old teacher. (Thinking)
remembers
a) is remembering
b) remembers
[Sie erinnert sich an ihren alten Lehrer.]
16. We ______ dinner at seven. (Action)
eat
a) eat
b) contain
[Wir essen um sieben Uhr zu Abend.]
17. This soup ______ wonderful. (Sense)
smells
a) is smelling
b) smells
[Diese Suppe riecht wunderbar.]
18. He ______ his parents every weekend. (Action)
visits
a) visits
b) lacks
[Er besucht seine Eltern jedes Wochenende.]
19. I ______ your opinion. (Emotion)
respect
a) am respecting
b) respect
[Ich respektiere deine Meinung.]
20. The price ______ too high. (Appearance)
seems
a) seems
b) is seeming
[Der Preis scheint zu hoch zu sein.]
21. They ______ the car on Saturday. (Action)
wash
a) belong
b) wash
[Sie waschen das Auto am Samstag.]
22. This bag ______ my laptop. (Possession)
contains
a) contains
b) is containing
[Diese Tasche enthält meinen Laptop.]
23. She ______ classical music. (Emotion)
loves
a) is loving
b) loves
[Sie liebt klassische Musik.]
24. We ______ English twice a week. (Action)
study
a) study
b) own
[Wir lernen zweimal pro Woche Englisch.]
25. The plan ______ good. (Sense)
sounds
a) is sounding
b) sounds
[Der Plan klingt gut.]