The continuous tenses are chiefly used for deliberate actions. Some verbs are, therefore, not normally used in the continuous and have only one present tense, the simple present. These verbs can be grouped as follows:
Rule 1: Verbs of the senses: feel, hear, see, smell; also notice and observe(notice), and feel, look, taste, used as link verbs.
For feel, look, smell, taste, see.
Verbs such as gaze, listen, look(at), observe(watch), star and watch imply deliberate use of the senses, and can, of course, be used in the continuous tense:
- I am watching but I don’t see anything unusual.
- He is listening to a tape, but he’s wearing earphones so nobody else hears it.
Rule 2: Verbs expressing feeling and emotions, e.g. admire (=respect), adore, appreciate (=value), care for (=like), desires, detest, dislike, fear, hate, like, loathe, love, mind (=care), respect, value, want, wish.
But the continuous can be used with admire meaning ‘look at with admiration’ appreciate meaning ‘increase in value’ care for meaning ‘look after’, long for, mind meaning ‘look after/concern oneself with’, value meaning ‘estimate the financial worth of’, enjoy and sometimes like/love meaning ‘enjoy’. and hate meaning the opposite, thought it is safer to use the simple tense with like, love and hate:
- He’s enjoying his holiday in the arctic.
- He hates touristy places and he doesn’t mind the cold.
- I’m minding my own business.
- How are you liking/Do you like your new job?
- I’m hating it/I hate it. I just don’t like work, you see.
Rule 3: Verbs of mental activity
Agree, appreciate (=understand), assume, believe, expect (=think), feel, (=think), feel sure/certain, forget, know, mean, perceive, realize, recall, recognize, recollect, remember, see (= understand), see through someone (=penetrate his attempt to deceive), suppose, think (= have an opinion), trust believe/have confidence in), understand, But the continuous can be used with appreciate meaning ‘to increase in value’.
Rule 4: Verbs of possession: belong, owe, own, possess:
How much do I owe you?
Rule 5: appear (= seem), concern, consist, contain, hold (=contain), keep (= continue), matter, seem, signify, sound (=seem/appear):
But appear meaning ‘to come before the public’ can be used in the continuous.It concerns us all.This box contains explosives.
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