Overview
This lesson covers verbs related to the five senses, their different meanings, and important grammar rules about using sense verbs in English.
Sense Verbs and Their Usage
- Common sense verbs include look, feel, sound, smell, taste, see, and hear.
- Sense verbs are typically followed by adjectives, not adverbs, in English (e.g., "You look tired," not "You look tiredly").
- The verbs see and hear often use "can" to express natural ability (e.g., "Can you hear it?").
Stative vs. Dynamic Use
- Sense verbs can be stative (describe a state) or dynamic (describe an action).
- Stative sense verbs are generally not used in the progressive (continuous) form (e.g., "It smells nice," not "It is smelling nice" unless describing an ongoing action).
- When used dynamically, sense verbs can be in the simple or progressive form (e.g., "I am tasting the soup").
- Example: "The milk smells funny" (stative) vs. "I am smelling the milk" (dynamic).
Multiple Meanings
- Many sense verbs have more than one meaning; for example, "smell" can mean to sense an odor or to give off an odor.
- Context determines whether a sense verb is stative or dynamic.
Grammar Notes
- Do not use adverbs after sense verbs in English (wrong: "You sound angrily").
- Use adjectives after sense verbs ("The coffee tastes great").
- Use "like" after sense verbs for comparisons (e.g., "It smells like flowers").
Key Terms & Definitions
- Sense Verbs — verbs that describe actions or states related to the five senses (look, feel, sound, smell, taste, see, hear).
- Stative Verb — a verb describing a state rather than an action, usually not used in progressive form.
- Dynamic Verb — a verb that describes an action and can be used in progressive forms.
- Adjective — word that describes a noun or pronoun.
- Adverb — word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Watch the upcoming video about using "like" after sense verbs.
- Practice using sense verbs with adjectives and recognize stative vs. dynamic usage.