STATIVE AND DYNAMIC VERBS -Lexical verbs are divided into different groups based on morphosyntactic and semantic

criteria. The semantic classification which we will deal with is the division of lexical verbs into STATIVE AND DYNAMIC. -The distinction of lexical verbs in the English verb system is very significant because it influences the syntactic behaviour of verbs. This means that certain kinds of behaviour of verbs can be predicted on the basis of this division. For example : stative verbs usually do not act as progressive verbs. -A stative verb is one that describes a state of being in contrast to dynamic verb, which describes an action. The basic difference can be categorized by saying that stative verbs are static or unchanging throughout their entire duration whereas dynamic verbs describe a process that changes overtime. -Several linguists including Quirk et al, Thompson and Martinet and Huddleston and Pullum use different terms and different criteria for dividing stative and dynamic verbs into subgroups. -Quirk et al.implied that the division of verbs into stative and dynamic was a fundamental one and reflected in many ways such as 1)progressive aspect, 2) imperative , 3) pseudo-cleft sentences with do proform and 4) causative construction 1) I am learning English.* I am knowing English. 2) Learn English! * Know English! 3)What I did was to learn English. * What I did was to know English. 4)I persuaded him to learn English. * I persuaded him to know English.

-However not all verbs follow this general rule. For example have and be- He is having a good time vs. I have a good car. She is being a good girl vs. She is a good girl. According to Quirk et al, dynamic verbs are divided into 1) activity verbs- eat, learn, drink, call 2) process verbs change, widen, grow 3) verbs of bodily sensation hurt, ache, feel 4) transitional event verbs- die, arrive, leave 5) momentary verbs jump, kick, nod, knock They divided stative verbs into: a) verbs of perception/sensation see, hear, feel b) verbs of cognition/emotion desire, believe, like, adore c) relational verbs belong, own, resemble, fit, include, possess The criteria were based primarily on the uses of verbs in the progressive aspects and also whether the subject is conscience agent or a patient in dynamic verbs. For example: He ate the dinner vs. He grew over the last 2 years.

The authors Huddleston and Pullum used terms occurrences instead of dynamic verbs. However the term occurrence should denote concrete notions related to verbs (aspects) and the term dynamic should denote a general concept. They imply that the uses of tenses and aspects depend on the kind of situation in a clause. Therefore they divide situations into occurrences

and states. Occurrences are further divided into 1) processes (durative situations) and 2) achievements (punctual situations). Processes are then divided into activities (atelic situations) and accomplishments (telic situations). Telic situations have an inherent terminal point while atelic do not. Achievements- He arrived home. 1) Activities (atelic) He was riding a bicycle. 2) Accomplishments (telic) He is painting the wall. As for the stative verbs Huddleston and Pullum divide them into a) Verbs of perception and sensation: 1)denoting speakers involuntary experce of a sensation He smells flowers. 2) The quality of a subject to provide a sensation The flowers smell lovely 3) Subjects active effort to experience a sensation (can be regarded as dynamic) He is smelling flowers. b) Verbs of hurting My hade aches c) Stance verbs - She admitted her guilt. d) Verbs of cognition, emotion and attitude think, love, prefer Two of these groups (hurting and stance) are at the boundary between stative and dynamic verbs. Thompson implied that stative verbs are not normally used in continuous tenses. He divided verbs into 1) Verbs of senses see,hear 2) Verbs of feelings and emotions love,mind=care,want 3) Verbs of mental activity assume,know,agree,mean,expect

4) Verbs of possession- own,owe,belong,possess 5) The auxiliaries except BE and HAVE in certain uses However they suggest that there are some exceptions 1)Verbs with similar lexical meaning Hear and see vs. Listen and watch 2) I am expecting a letter. (as await) 3) He keeps bleeding. Now lets compare some of the examples to Serbian notions of stative and dynamic verbs : I am thinking of leaving the country. Razmisljam o odlasku iz drzave Subject is also conscient agent and verb is also dynamic. He owns a house. On poseduje kucu. The verb is stative both in Serbian and English. I smelled the flowers. Osetio je miris cveca. Subjects involuntary ability to smell the flowers-stative The flowers smell great. Cvece mirise lepo Both stative, the flowers have the quality to smell nice. -Although the general division excists into stative and dynamic verbs there are overlappings and exceptions which show that some dynamic verbs can be stative and vice versa. The best example to show this polisemy is the verb think : I am thinking of leaving the country (dynamic) I think that he is a nice person (stative use).

In the first example the verb think which is usually considered to be stative is used in progressive aspect implying some dynamic qualities such as subjects intention,so it becomes a process not an inert state.
See

see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand I see what you mean I see her now, she's just coming along the road see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years I'm seeing Robert tomorrow

Taste

taste (stative) = has a certain taste This soup tastes great The coffee tastes really bitter taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting The chef is tasting the soup

Stative and dynamic verbs in context

There were cars double-parked and treble-parked everywhere. Tiny girls with Leonardo Di Caprio lunch boxes scrambled out of off-road vehicles the size of Panzer tanks. Bigger boys with Arsenal and Manchester United kitbags climbed out of old bangers. The noise from this threefoot-high tribe was unbelievable. I took Pats clammy hand as we joined the throng. I could see a collection of small, bewildered new kids and their nervous parents milling about in the playground...