As you may know, verbs in German and English are also pronounced as doing words or action words. As this term already suggests, they describe activities. Verbs can be divided into two categories in German and English: on the one hand in the so-called dynamic verbs and on the other hand in tripod verbs. But what exactly are tripods and dynamic verbs?
If you want to learn more about the parts of speech of verbs, take a look at the explanation «Verbs Englisch».
Dynamic verb rules
Dynamic Verbs, or too action verbs called, describe activities or operationswhich are actively carried out. So dynamic verbs describe active actions and processes.
Dynamici.e. dynamic, assumes that the action is a wanted movement acts. Speak, all verbs, the one active movement express are dynamic verbs. They form the largest part of all verbs.
You can see which verbs can be included in this table in this table:
EnglishGermanto hit to eatessento walkto talkto speakto runto climb climbto writeto write
This table reflects only a small part of all dynamic verbs. All of these verbs describe an action, process, or behavior that is dynamic, but only temporaryi.e. only for a certain period of time.
In addition, all these activities have a clear beginning and a clear one End. For example, the activity that begins with the verb to hit, i.e. «beat», is described, carried out within seconds. You could designate a clear beginning and end of the shot.
Tenses of Dynamic Verbs
Dynamic verbs can be in a progressive form or in progressive and in one simple shapeso in Simple, to be formed. That means you can use them, for example, in the present progressive or in the simple past, as the following examples show.
I ate ice cream every Monday.
(I ate ice cream every Monday.)
I am eating ice cream right now.
(I’m eating ice cream.)
In this example, the Dynamic Verb eat in the first sentence in the Simple Past (ate) and in the second in the progressive form (is eating).
If you want to learn more about the tenses, check out the Simple Past and Past Progressive explanations.
Tripods verb rules
The so-called Static verbs describe, in contrast to the dynamic verbs, no active actions with a clear beginning and end. The word tripods comes from the word state ab which means «state».
From this you can deduce that tripods verbs conditions describe. This includes personal settings, opinions or perceptions. With all these verbs, the beginning and the end cannot be clearly defined.
Hence one can use these verbs only in the simple form form while dynamic verbs can be formed in both progressive and simple forms. You can use a tripod verb because of that never use in a progressive tense.
In the table below you can find examples of some tripod verbs in English:
EnglishGermanto seeto loveloveto disliketo believeto knowto imagine imagine
All of these verbs are tripods, since they all describe a state. For example, loving someone or something is (to love) not an active action or activity, but a feeling. This has no clear beginning and no clear conclusion.
Likewise, disliking someone or something (to dislike) a feeling. Look at the following sentence:
I dislike dogs.
(I don’t like dogs.)
dislike describes the state of dislike. It is a matter of a feelingl, that no determinable timeline Has. In addition, the duration of the condition is also unknown.
This will make the Education in the progressive excluded, since the progressive form indicates whether an action or activity is in progress or has not yet been completed. That End the action should therefore be foreseeable.
Maybe you know the McDonald’s slogan «I love it». This is in English I’m loving it. Since the verb to love is a tripod verb, it is not possible to form the progressive form. So the McDonald’s slogan is actually grammatically incorrect.
Tripods and Dynamic Verbs – List
There are also some verbs which are either dynamic verbs or state verbs could be, depending on her meaning and the context a sentence. In English, it is more common for words to have more than one meaning.
In this list you will find some commonly used verbs that fall into this intermediate category and how they are used.
tripods
dynamic beYou are crazy.(part of personality) You are being crazy.(temporary, behavior) thinkI think hot chocolate is tasty.(opinion)
I’m thinking about you
(active thinking, an action)
haveI have a dog.(condition, possession)I’m having a picnic with friends.(active action, expression of situation) seeYes, I can see her.(perception)I‘m seeing my sister this weekend. (active action, an intention) tasteThe tea tastes great!(perception)I’m tasting my food before I serve it. (active action, wanting to perceive something)
As you can see from the example sentences, these are verbs depending on the context tripods or dynamic. You can also make the distinction by asking yourself whether the duration of the action can be determined or not.
The verb «to taste» (to taste) can for example both tripods as well as dynamic be used. The first example mentions that the tea tastes good. That describes a perception and therefore is to taste in this case a tripod verb.
The second example explains that the food is tasted before it is served. So here an active action is described. Here is to taste i.e. a dynamic verb and can therefore also be in the progressive.
Help on using Dynamic and Tripod Verbs
As so now you can determinewhether it is a dynamic or static verb? You can do that fask the following questions:
- Used with the verb a Condition or one activity described? (Condition – tripodsactivity – dynamic)
- If dynamic: Will be one regular action described or one that is now im currently active takes place? (regular – simple form/ currently active – progressive form)
- can the verb either dynamic as well as tripods be? Watch out for that context of the sentence. If you want to express an opinion or a state of affairs, then it is a static verb. If you are describing an activity or something temporary (i.e. a short active action like I’m walking home), then it is a dynamic verb
Tripods and Dynamic verbs – The most important thing
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Dynamic verbs are verbs that have a active describe action. (to walk, to run, to eat)
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Dynamic verbs can be written in the simple form (I eat an apple once a day.) and in the progressive (I’m eating an apple right now.) are formed.
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Tripods verbs, or also state verbs, describe a state, an opinion or a perception. (to love, to believe, to dislike)
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State verbs can only be formed in the simple form, since the Duration of a state indeterminable is.
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There are verbs that can describe states and actions (to think, to be, to taste). It depends context in which they were used.