List of State Verbs

• appreciate
• be
• belong
• consist
• contain 
• deny
• forget
• hate
• have*
• know
• like
• love
• realize
• fit
• suppose
• want
• need
• mean
• understand
• seem
• believe
• depend
• agree
• remember
• matter
• mind
• recognize
• see*
• own
• appear
• look*
• sound
• taste*
• smell
• hear
• astonish
• deny
• disagree
• impress
• satisfy
• promise
• surprise
• doubt
• think* (=have an opinion)
• feel
• wish
• imagine
• concern
• dislike
• deserve
• involve
• include 
• lack
• measure (have the lenth)
• possess
• owe
• value
• weigh (have weigh)

The verbs with asterisk (*) can be a stative verb and action verb.

Spelling Rules of the Present Participle (V+ing)

There are some rules on how to add -ing to verbs called Present Participle and Gerund:

1. Verbs which end in a silent -e, drop the -e and add -ing:
1. come - coming
2. fade - fading
3. face - facing
4. dance - dancing
5. live - living
6. compile - compiling
7. ride - riding
8. write - writing
9. bake - baking
10. hope - hoping
2. Verbs which end in -e or -ee:
1. be - being
2. see - seeing
3. age - ageing
4. agree - agreeing
5. flee - fleeing
3.  Verbs ending with -ie:
1. die - dying
2. tie - tying
3. lie - lying
4. vie - vying
4. Verbs ending with one vowel + one consonant (with the excepting of "W, X, Y), we double the last consonant and add -ing:
1. cut - cutting
2. shut - shutting
3. dig - digging
4. sit - sitting
5. run - running
   Exception of "W, X, Y":
6. stay - staying
7. play - playing
8. box - boxing
9. fix - fixing
10. draw - drawing
11. bow - bowing
5. For two syllable-word verbs, we double the last consonant only if the stress falls on the last syllable:
1. admit - admitting
2. refer - referring
3. prefer - preferring
4. begin - beginning 
5. defer - deferring
6. confer - conferring
6. For two syllable-word verbs which were stressed on the first syllable, we only add -ing:
1. offer - offering
2. suffer - suffering
3. whisper - whispering
4. open - opening
5. listen - listening
6. visit - visiting
7. Some verbs take the two forms of Rule 5 and Rule 6 above:
1. travel - traveling / travelling
2. marvel - marvel / marvelling

The Present Continuous Tense

I. Examples: You are at a press conference. You look around the room and describe the ongoing activities:
1. Jim is listening to the speech.
2. Anna is talking on the phone. She's not listening.
3. A young man is taking notes.
4. Some attendees are paying attentions, but some aren't.
5. What am I doing? I am looking around and describing the scene.

II. Form: We form the present continuous tense with the present form of "to be" with a present participle.
(+): S + am/is/are + present participle
1. I am living with my parents until my apartment is renovated.
2. They are dancing with joy.

(-): S + am/is/are + not + present participle
1. I am not working today.
2. She's not listening to the lecture.

(?): Q.W + am/is/are + S + present participle?
1. What are you doing?
2. Where are they going?
3. Are you walking to work?

For the details of "Yes/No" questions, please check the previous lesson "To Be" by clicking the label above or on the end screen of this lesson.

III. Use
1. To describe an ongoing activity at the time of speaking. For instance, You are describing some continuous activities at a playground:
a. Three boys are sliding.
b. A girl is building a sand castle.
c. Four kids are swinging.

2. Sometimes, the action is not in progress at the time of speaking, but you are in the middle of doing it.
a. I am reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. (Maybe you are not reading it at the time of speaking. You are at a cafe meeting a friend, but you can say this because you are in the middle of doing it. Maybe you are on page 300.)

3. It can also be used to describe a temporary action occurring around now.
a. We are all working overtime to finish the project as per the manager's requirement.
b. I am taking a bus to work because my car is broken.

4. Use with "always" to express annoying repeated actions.
a. I don't understand why he is always gossiping about everyone.
b. My husband is always leaving the car keys at the wrong places.

5. To talk about your future arrangement. (Future arrangement refers to a plan which already decided and the arrangement for the plan is being done or is done.)
a. We are visiting our grandparents this weekend. (You already packed your luggage. If the trip is by plane, you already bought the ticket. Everything is in place. Just wait for the weekend)
b. A: What are you doing this weekend?
B: I'm going to the theater.

6. The present continuous of "to be" (S + am/is/are + being + adjective) expresses how someone is behaving differently at the moment.
a. He is being so generous. (Normally, he's not generous.)
b. Something strange about him. He's being talkative. (Usually, he's quiet)

7. To describe the changes happening now.
a. The world population is growing so fast.
b. The gas fee is going up day by day.

Do not use the present continuous:
1. with state verbs (like, love, hate, want, know, understand, need, prefer, mean, realize, suppose, believe, belong, seem, depend, consist, remember, have (=possess, own) etc.) With these non-action verbs, use the present simple tense. So, the following sentences are grammatically wrong:
a. I am knowing he is kind.
b. I am have three brothers.

2. with short action verbs
a. I am cutting my finger.
I have cut my finger. (correct)
b. I am losing my purse.
I have lost my purse.
Related Lesson:

• Spelling Rules of the Present Participle
• List of Stative Verbs 

SOME and ANY

SOME and Any are used with both count nouns and non-count nouns to mean "a few" or  "a little".

SOME
 
1. SOME is used in positive sentences with either count nouns or non-count nouns to mean "a few" or "a little":

• I went to the market and bought some oil.
• We have some eggs left.

2. SOME can be used in questions when referring to:

  a. offers

• Would you like some juice?
• Do you need some sugar in your coffee? 

  b. requests

• To the seller: Can you show me some new products?
• Can I have some bread?

ANY

1. ANY is used in questions with either count nouns or non-count nouns to mean "a few" or "a little":

• Do you have any new friends?
• Have you got any butter left?

2. ANY is used in negative sentences with either count nouns or non-count nouns to mean "NONE":

• I don't have any trouble recently. 
• They don't have to face any problems if they want to set up the company.

 3. ANY can also be used in positive sentences with the meaning "whichever".

•  Could you pass me a knife?
  ~Which one?
  ~Any knife. I don't mind.
• If you need help, you can come to any time.