" BELONG' have the form "be + -ed" or not?

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c3s2ron

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Hi there!

I have a question like this: "Nobody knows this house __________ to Mr Tom, a senator."
A: is belonging
B: is belonged
C: belongs
D: belong
I chose B but it was wrong. The answer was C and they explained: " belong is an intransitive verb i.e a verb without needing an object, cannot take the form be ... -ed". They also said that "belong" is stative verb which cannot normally be used with continuous tenses. I can't understand the former statement clearly.
Could you guys make it clearer for me please?
Is it true that every single stative verb does not have the form be + -ed?
More explanation and examples about "belong" and other stative verbs would be great

Many thanks!
 

EnglishFix

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A stative verb is a verb of being. A dynamic verb is a verb that show action.

This house "is belonged" to Mr Tom...is very strange!
This house "is owned" by Mr. Tom...is acceptable.
 

Love Teaching

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Hi there!

I have a question like this: "Nobody knows this house __________ to Mr Tom, a senator."
A: is belonging Incorrect, because belong is not used in progressive.
B: is belonged Incorrect, because belong is not used in the passive form.
C: belongs Correct, because
the subject is singular hence a singular verb.
D: belong
Incorrect, because the subject doesn't agree with the verb.
I chose B but it was wrong. The answer was C and they explained: " belong is an intransitive verb i.e a verb without needing an object, cannot take the form be ... -ed". They also said that "belong" is stative verb which cannot normally be used with continuous tenses. I can't understand the former statement clearly.
Could you guys make it clearer for me please?
One categorization puts the verbs into two, Transitive and Intransitive. Transitive verbs must have an object. (Example: I repaired the radio.) Intransitive verbs have a subject but no object. (Example: I slept.) And some verbs are called state / stative meaning they can't be used in progressive / continuous forms. "Like" is one the good examples, nobody says "I'm liking football". You should put it in the simple present form and say "I like football".
Is it true that every single stative verb does not have the form be + -ed? No, state verbs sometimes can be used in the passive form, like "I'm not loved by anybody!"
More explanation and examples about "belong" and other stative verbs would be great For a list of state verbs, see Google results, please.

Many thanks!
NOT A NATIVE TEACHER
 

tzfujimino

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NOT A NATIVE TEACHER

Hello.:-D
I agree with you on most of what you've written.
However, I think I've seen/heard "I'm liking..."
I'm not sure if it's acceptable or not.
(I'm not a native speaker of English.)
 

c3s2ron

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According to your explanation, intransitive verbs can't be used in passive form, am I right?
 

Barb_D

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According to your explanation, intransitive verbs can't be used in passive form, am I right?

Mostly correct. A passive requires an object in the active voice, which becomes the grammatical subject in the passive voice. There are many who include an indirect object, which could be used with an intransitive verb.
The teacher read to the children. The children were read to by the teacher.
 

probus

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When a transitive verb is used in the passive voice, it becomes intransitive.

The principal decided to relax the restrictions.
It was decided that the restrictions should be relaxed.
 

probus

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I have a question like this: "Nobody knows this house __________ to Mr Tom, a senator."
A: is belonging
B: is belonged
C: belongs
D: belong

One of my laws of multiple choice questions from my long-ago but very successful exam-passing days: if three of the choices are wrong, it must be the fourth. It is not hard to find something wrong with A, B and D.
 

Raymott

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stative meaning they can't be used in progressive / continuous forms. "Like" is one the good examples, nobody says "I'm liking football". You should put it in the simple present form and say "I like football".
That's a beginners' rule. Almost all (possibly all) stative verbs can be used in the progressive form. It's just not usually natural to do it unless you know what you're doing. "Nobody says 'I'm loving football'" is factually incorrect. Almost all native speakers use these constructions occasionally.
 
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emsr2d2

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As far as the original question goes though, "to belong [to]" simply doesn't take "to be".

1. I belong to a club = I am a member of a club.
2. This house belongs to me = This house is owned by me.

3. I belonged to a club many years ago = I was a member of a club.
4. This house belonged to me many years ago = This house was owned by me.

You will hear "I am belonging to ..." in Indian English but you will hear almost all verbs used in the present continuous rather than the present simple in that variant.
 
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