Unit 4, page 20‐A - DeiseFreire/English GitHub Wiki

MURPHY, Raymond. English grammar in use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Unit 4, page 20-A.

We use continuous forms (I’m waiting, it’s raining etc.) for actions and happenings that have started but not finished.

Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in this way. We don’t say ‘I am knowing’, ‘they are liking’. We say ‘I know’, ‘they like’.

The following verbs are not normally used in the present continuous:

like, want, need, prefer
know, realise, understand, recognise
believe, suppose, remember, mean
belong, fit, contain, consist, seem

• I’m hungry. I want something to eat. (not I’m wanting)
• Do you understand what I mean?
• Anna doesn’t seem very happy right now.