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Non-Continuous Verbs

There are some verbs in English that are not normally used in Continuous (Progressive) tenses and instead they are put in Simple tenses ( instead of Present Continuous we use Present Simple and so on). By ‘normally’  80-90% of cases are meant.  For the simplicity the verbs are divided into 4 groups:

 

Preference - 10 verbs:

Need    Do you need any help?

Want    All I want is the truth.

Like      Do you like their new house?

Dislike  Why do you dislike him so much?

Love     He loves his wife dearly.

Hate     I hate spinach.

Adore   Don’t you just adore that dress!

Abhor   Most decent people abhor corruption in government.

Enjoy    She greatly enjoys her work.

Prefer   I much prefer jazz to rock music.

 

Mental Activity - 10 verbs:

Believe          I don't believe you!

Know            Do you know his address?

Remember   I don't remember my first day at school.

Recognise    Do you recognise this tune?

Understand  I'm not sure that I understand. Go over it again.

Realise          I don't think you realize how important this is to her.

Matter           As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

Mean            What does this sentence mean?

Seem            You seem happy

Appear         It appears that there has been a mistake.

 

Senses - 5 verbs:

See       It opens like this.’ ‘Oh, I see.’

Hear     I hear what you’re saying , but you’re wrong.

Taste    It tastes sweet.

Smell    Dinner smells good.

Sound  She sounds just the person we need for the job.

 

Possession - 8 verbs:

Belong   Who does this watch belong to?

Contain  This drink doesn't contain any alcohol.

Fit           That jacket fits well.

Include   Does the price include tax?

Owe        She still owes her father £3 000.

Own        Do you own your house or do you rent it?

Have       I don't have that much money on me.

 

Task 1

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. He ..............(to need) to win this game to stay in the match.
  2. I .............(to regret) to say that we already .............(to run) ten minutes late.
  3. Which tie you .............(to like) best?
  4. Of course now they .............(to spend) money here, there and everywhere.
  5. I can do whatever I .............(to want).
  6. I .............(not to like) the way he.............(to look) at me.
  7. There .............(to be) very few foods that I actively .............(to dislike).
  8. I really .............(to love) summer evenings.
  9. I .............(to hate) to trouble you, but could I use your phone?
  10. Your young cousin .............(to stay) with you for the holidays.

 

Task 2 

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. She.............(to adore) working with children.
  2. Such behaviour .............(to create) additional problems.
  3. You .............(not to need) to leave yet, .............you?
  4. She .............(to abhor) any form of cruelty towards animals.
  5. I simply .............(to enjoy) the feeling of power.
  6. The plane .............(to fly) over the ocean.
  7. You .............(to want) me to help?
  8. I .............(to prefer) my coffee black.
  9. Though he .............(to seem) charming, the girl instinctively .............(to dislike) him.
  10. Small spots and blackheads .............(to ruin) your complexion and your life? 

 

 

Task 3

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. No one seriously .............(to believe) that this war will happen.
  2. I .............(not to know) about you, but I.............(to be) ready for something to eat.
  3. Rain also .............(to delay) the harvest of other vegetables like peas and beans.
  4. It .............(to be) obvious that she .............(to adore) him.
  5. I distinctly .............(to remember) Jane saying that the show started at eight.
  6. With this commitment, heads of state and government .............(to send) a strong message to the negotiators at the Copenhagen Climate Conference.
  7. I even .............(not to recognise) you any more.
  8. I .............(to hate) Monday mornings.
  9. Next thing I .............(to know), I.............(to be dressed) like a Viking, and I.............(to sing) in the national opera. 
  10. Doctors still .............(not to understand) much about the disease.

 

Task 4

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. 1. I hope you.............(to realize) the seriousness of this crime.
  2. This shirt ............. (to need) to be washed.
  3. Let us look at who the government .............(to take) this money from. 
  4. A place where an individual .............(to stay) temporarily cannot be considered an ordinary residence except for an individual who .............(to have) no other permanent home.
  5. These things .............(to matter) a lot to young children.
  6. What she .............(to mean) .............(to be) that there.............(to be) no point in waiting here.
  7. Mr. Speaker, the problem .............(to be) whether the Prime Minister actually .............(to believe) what he .............(to do), because behind closed doors he .............(to sing) a different tune.
  8. He .............(to appear) to be a perfectly normal person.
  9.  9. It .............(to seem) that they .............(to know) what they .............(to do).
  10. He  .............(to love) the way she .............(to smile).

 

 

Task 5

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. ‘It.............(to be) time you did your homework.’ ‘I .............(not to want) to!’
  2. If you.............(not to cry) you may feel you.............(not to grieve) as you should, and it can make you uncomfortable.
  3. Oh yes, I .............(to see) what you .............(to mean).’
  4. We .............(not to hear) anything of him these days.
  5. The plastic bag, torn and empty, .............(to lie) on the floor next to the dog, who .............(to sleep) peacefully. 
  6. We .............(not to assume) that we .............(to have) the right to interfere in this development. 
  7. What the perfume .............(to smell) like?
  8. This drink .............(to taste) like sherry.
  9. A father who .............(to marry off) his daughter too young .............(to have to) realise he completely .............(to ruin) her life.
  10. He .............(not to sound) French—and he.............(not to look) it.

 

Task 6

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. The car .............(to belong) to the woman next door.
  2. I .............(to love) it in Spain (I .............(to like) the life there).
  3. I .............(to fly) back to the Hague this afternoon.
  4. The bottle .............(to contain) two litres.
  5. I .............(to understand) how hard things have been for you.
  6. Your duties .............(to include) typing letters and answering the telephone.
  7. The key .............(not to fit) the lock.
  8. How much I .............(to owe) you for the groceries?

      9. I hope I .............(not to sound) as if I.............(to criticize) you.

  1. Repeat the above procedure until you only .............(to receive) alarms when the baby .............(to cry).

 

Task 7

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. It will not be easy to improve the standard of life while at the same time reducing what .............(to ruin) nature.
  2. Anyone .............(to own) this coat? It was left in a classroom.
  3. They .............(to have) a lot of courage.
  4. I simply .............(to say) that we shall take appropriate measures when the time .............(to come). 
  5. It still .............(to rain) here and the situation .............(to deteriorate) badly," reports Eric Dayal, National Emergency Coordinator with Caritas Pakistan. 
  6. You've got to go to school, whether you  .............(to like) it or not.
  7. I  .............(to hate) it when people cry.
  8. The sun  .............(to shine) but it  .............(to be) very cold this year, especially when the wind  .............(to blow). 
  9. Determine how much milk your child  .............(to drink) and limit intakes if he or she  .............(to drink) too much.
  10. Much as she  .............(to dislike) asking for help, she  .............(to know) she  .............(to have to).

 

Task 8

Fill in the blanks using Present Simple or Progressive tenses:

 

  1. It  .............(to smell) in here.
  2. We  .............(to need) comprehensive labelling because consumers  .............(to have) a right to know what they  .............(to eating).
  3. What you  .............(to mean)?
  4. I simply  .............(to adore) his music!
  5. Well, I did a print-out of it, which .............(to sit) on my desk. 
  6. The sun  .............(to shine) and it  .............(to be) a beautiful day.
  7. Paul  .............(to think) he .............(to be) happy, but his mother  .............(to believes) otherwise.
  8. I  .............(to believe) that we  .............(to have) a responsibility towards the less fortunate in society.
  9. I exactly  .............(not to remember) what she said.
  10. For example, if it  .............(to rain), the correct "move" may be to carry an umbrella, regardless of what the other ............. (to do).
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