Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verbs › Present Tense › Measurement
Present Tense: Measurement (static verb / stative verb)
Indicate weight, distance, height or count
States of Measurement vs. Measuring Activity
| STATIC VERB |
|---|
A static verb indicates a state. The verbs below are states of "equvalence" (measures, weighs, equals, costs, etc. ) indicating howwe measure or count something. A static verb usually takes the nonprogressive verb form. |
The Golden Gate Bridge measures 8,981 feet long. (equals) |
The Golden Gate towers reaches 746 feet into the air. |
The Eiffel Tower weighs 6,400 metric tons. |
The weight of the span equals the weight of one tower. |
The Golden Gate Bridge costs two dollars the cross. |
The repairs add up to more than 10 million dollars this year. |
We owe the bank some money. |
The United States consists of 50 states. |
The pool contains 15,000 gallons of water. |
The book includes several good solutions. |
| DYNAMIC VERB |
|---|
A dynamic verb indicates an activity that we take action to do or perform. The verbs below take a progressive or a nonprogressive verb form. The dynamic verb meaning differs slightly from the static verb meaning. |
The tailor is measuring the gentleman for his new suit. |
The firemen are reaching the child on the roof. |
The grocer is weighing the apples on a scale. |
These mistakes are costing us a lot of money. |
The bridge director is adding up the costs for repair. |
|
|
The police contained the crowd in a small area. |
The author included several ideas in his book. |
See Static Verbs with Intransitive and Transitive Forms
Common Mistakes
Errors & Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
The baby is weighing ten pounds already.
|
How much is this costing? (Verb use depends on what "this" is.) |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
The baby weighs ten pounds. (static) The nurse is weighing the bably. (dynamic) |
How much does this cost? (static – a fixed price) How much is this construction costing us? (dynamic – a rising amount) |
Practice 1
Stative versus Dynamic
Present or present progressive?
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.