B2 VERBS OF SENSES

Explicación

Verbs of the Senses – B2 Level Guide | Tower Languages

Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator

📌 What are Verbs of the Senses?

Verbs of the senses describe how we experience the world through sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Their grammar changes depending on whether they express perception or deliberate action.

see hear smell taste feel look sound notice watch listen

1. Stative vs Dynamic Uses

🔵 Stative Meaning (Non-Action)

Subject + sense verb + complement

When sense verbs describe general perception or impressions, they are stative — NOT used in continuous forms.

This cake tastes amazing.
You look tired.
The room smells strange.
I hear music downstairs.
The fabric feels soft.

⚠ Incorrect

❌ This cake is tasting amazing. ✔ This cake tastes amazing.

🟢 Using "Can" for Present Perception

Subject + can + base verb

Use can/can't with sense verbs to describe what you perceive at this moment.

I can hear someone calling.
She can see the mountains.
We can smell gas.
I can't feel my fingers.

💡 Note

"Can + sense verb" emphasizes that the perception is happening right now, in this moment.

2. Dynamic (Action) Uses

🟢 Deliberate Action → Continuous Allowed

Some sense verbs describe deliberate actions and can be used in continuous forms.

Verb	Action Meaning
smell	Check an odor deliberately
taste	Test a flavor
feel	Touch something
look	Direct your eyes
see	Meet someone
hear	Receive information

🟣 Examples in Continuous Form

She is smelling the perfume.
He is tasting the sauce.
I'm feeling the fabric.
I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow.

Feel — Physical or Emotional States

I'm feeling better.
She was feeling nervous.
We've been feeling stressed.

💡 Note

Feel is an exception — it can be used in continuous even for physical/emotional states.

3. Infinitive vs -ing Form After Sense Verbs

📙 Verb + Object + -ing (Ongoing Action)

Subject + verb + object + verb(-ing)

The action was in progress — we saw/heard only part of it.

I saw him running.
She heard the baby crying.
They watched the children playing.

🔵 Verb + Object + Base Verb (Complete Action)

Subject + verb + object + base verb

The action was complete — we saw/heard the whole thing.

I saw him run.
She heard the door slam.
They watched him score.

🔍 Quick Comparison

-ing → Ongoing

I saw him running.

He was in the middle of running when I saw him.

Base verb → Complete

I saw him run.

I saw the whole action from start to finish.

4. Sense Verbs as Linking Verbs

🟣 Verb + Adjective

sense verb + adjective

You look exhausted.
The soup smells delicious.
Her voice sounds different.
The surface feels rough.

⚠ Important

Use adjectives, NOT adverbs.
❌ It smells badly. ✔ It smells bad.

🟢 Verb + Like + Noun

sense verb + like + noun

He sounds like a professional.
This tastes like lemon.
It feels like silk.

smell / taste of vs like

The sauce tastes of garlic. (contains it)
This tastes like medicine. (similar)

🔵 Verb + As if / As though

sense verb + as if/as though + clause

You look as if you didn't sleep.
She sounds as though she's upset.
It smells as if something is burning.
He acts as though he knows everything.

5. Seem, Appear, and Look

🔵 Seem

She seems confident.
He seems to understand.
She seems to have forgotten.
It seems that they are late.

🟡 Appear

She appears calm.
He appears to know the answer.
It appears that something went wrong.

🟣 Look vs Seem

👁️ Look — Visual evidence

You look tired.

Based on what I can see.

💭 Seem — General impression

You seem tired.

Based on a general feeling or behaviour.

📊 Summary Table

Structure	Example	Meaning	Continuous?
Stative	The soup tastes good	General impression	No ❌
Can + verb	I can hear music	Present perception	No ❌
Continuous	She is tasting the soup	Deliberate action	Yes ✔
Verb + object + -ing	I saw him running	Ongoing action	—
Verb + object + base	I saw him run	Complete action	—
Verb + adjective	You look tired	Linking verb	No ❌
Verb + like + noun	It tastes like lemon	Comparison	No ❌
Verb + as if / though	She looks as if she's upset	Hypothetical impression	No ❌

Ejercicio 1

Verbs of the Senses — Multiple Choice Exercise

Tower Languages Online Learning is Today

Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator

👁️ Verbs of the Senses — Multiple Choice Exercise

— / 10

Instrucción: Choose the correct option for each sentence. Pay attention to whether the verb is used as a stative sense verb (linking verb + adjective) or as an active perception verb (see/watch/hear + object + infinitive/-ing).

👁️ SEE / WATCH / HEAR + object + bare infinitive / -ing

👃 SMELL / TASTE / SOUND stative: + adjective / like / of

👀 LOOK / SEEM / APPEAR + adjective / to + infinitive

🔄 ACTIVE USE I'm smelling/tasting → deliberate action

Check Answers ✓

Ejercicio 2

Verbs of the Senses — Exercise 2

Tower Languages Online Learning is Today

Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator

👁️ Verbs of the Senses — Exercise 2

— / 15

Instrucción: Choose the correct option for each gap. Some sentences have two gaps — both must be correct to score the point. Pay attention to stative vs active use and the form required after each sense verb.

👁️ SEE / WATCH / HEAR + object + bare infinitive / -ing

👃 SMELL / TASTE / FEEL stative: + adj / like / of · active: -ing

👀 LOOK / SEEM + adjective · seem + to + infinitive

☝️ DOUBLE GAP both selects must be correct

☝️ Double gap I a the baby crying, but I didn't see who b her.

☝️ Double gap This soup a strange. Are you sure it b fresh?

☝️ Double gap Look at him! He a as if he b a ghost.

👁️ Perception verb I'm sorry, I can't a you very well. Could you speak up?

☝️ Double gap She was a the fabric to check if it b soft enough.

👃 Stative sense verb The kitchen smells a smoke. Did something burn?

👁️ Perception verb + object We saw them a across the street before the light turned red.

👀 Linking verb He seems a the answer already.

👃 Stative sense verb This coffee tastes a it has too much sugar.

☝️ Double gap Why are you a at me like that? You b nervous.

Check Answers ✓