Stative Verbs - Measurement and Other States
Indicating Weight, Distance, Height and Count
Measurements vs. Measuring
| STATES | ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
These verbs are variations of the verb "be" or equivalence; they are used for weight, distance, height and counting |
Active verbs are activities that we take action to do or perform. They take progressive and nonprogressive verb forms. |
| The Golden Gate Bridge measures 8,981 feet long. |
The tailor is measuring the gentleman for his new suit. |
| The Golden Gate towers reaches 746 feet into the air. |
The baby is reaching for his toy. |
The Eiffel Tower weighs 6,400 metric tons. |
The grocer is weighing the apples on a scale. |
The weight of the span equals the weight of one tower. |
|
The Golden Gate Bridge costs two dollars the cross. |
These mistakes are costing me a lot of money. |
We owe the bank some money. |
|
The United States consists of 50 states. |
|
The pool contains 15,000 gallons of water. |
The police contained the crowd in a small area. |
The book includes several good solutions. |
The author included several ideas in his book. |
Common Mistakes
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
How much is this costing? (Verb use depends on what "this" is.) |
How much does this cost? (a fixed-price item) How much is this costing us? (an ongoing project of rising costs)
|
Practice
Active vs Stative
- Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your responses to the answers by clicking the the "show answers" button at the bottom
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