Question 1

Which verbs cannot be used in the past continuous?

Accepted Answer

Verbs that describe states rather than actions are not normally used in continuous forms. The main categories are: mental states (know, believe, understand, remember, forget, suppose, doubt), emotions (love, hate, like, prefer, want, need, wish), possession (have, own, belong, possess), senses in their involuntary meaning (see, hear, smell, taste), and other states (be, seem, appear, contain, consist, mean, matter, cost). For example: "I understood the lesson" — not "I was understanding." However, some of these verbs have action meanings that DO allow the continuous: "I was tasting the soup" (actively sampling) is correct because it describes a deliberate activity.

Question 2

How do I know if "have" needs past simple or past continuous?

Accepted Answer

"Have" is one of the trickiest verbs because its meaning completely changes the grammar. When "have" means possession or a permanent state, use the past simple: "She had two cats" (ownership), "I had a headache" (condition). When "have" is part of an action phrase, use the past continuous: "I was having breakfast" (eating), "We were having a meeting" (attending), "They were having fun" (experiencing). A helpful test: if you can replace "have" with "own" or "possess," use past simple. If you can replace it with a specific action verb like "eat," "drink," or "enjoy," the continuous form is correct.

Question 3

Can I ever use "think" in the past continuous?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only when "think" describes an active mental process — considering, reflecting, or trying to decide: "I was thinking about what to say" or "She was thinking of moving to a new city." In this meaning, thinking is an activity happening over time, so the continuous is natural. When "think" means "believe" or "have an opinion," it is a state verb and takes the past simple: "I thought he was right" (my opinion), "We thought it was a good idea" (our belief). Compare: "I was thinking about the problem all night" (mental activity) vs "I thought the film was boring" (opinion). The context always makes the meaning clear.

Past Continuous State Verbs Exercises

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