Page 489 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

471
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progressive (2): non-progressive verbs verbs not used in progressive ('continuous') forms
Some verbs are never or hardly ever used in progressive forms.
I like this music. (NOT I',n liking this mltSie.)
I rang her up because I needed to talk. (NOT . • . beetlltSe { was needing
ffi ttllle.)
Some other verbs are not used in progressive fonns when they have certain meanings. Compare:
I'm seeing the doctor at ten o'clock.
I see what you mean. (NOT Pm seeing whttt ytnt mettrt.)
Many of these non-progressive verbs refer to states rather than actions. Some refer to mental states (e.g. know, think, believe); some others refer to the use of the senses (e.g. smell, taste).
Modal verbs (e.g. can, must) have no progressive fonns. See 353.
common non-progressive verbs
Here is a list of some common verbs which are not often used in progressive
fonns (or which are not used in progressive fonns with certain meanings). mental and emotional states
2
believe doubt
feel (= have an opinion) hate
imagine
know
use of the senses
feel hear
(dis)like love prefer realise recognise remember
see smell
see (= understand) suppose
think (= have an opinion) understand
want
wish
sound taste
promise satisfy seem surprise
measure (= have length etc) need
owe
own
possess
weigh (= have weight)
communicating and causing reactions
agree appear astonish deny disagree
other
impress
look (= seem) mean
please
be deserve belong f i t concern include consist involve contain lack depend matter
progressive (2): non-progressive verbs 471
More details of the use of some of these verbs are given in other entries in the
book. See the Index for references.
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