With certain verbs like "I know," "I understand," and "I own," we don't use the progressive form ("I am --- ing") when we are talking about what is happening right now.

Common Error: Now I am understanding.

• Now I understand.
• Now I know what you mean.

These verbs are not action verbs. They often express a person's state of mind. The following list indicates those verbs where one rarely, if ever, uses the progressive form.
(Asterisks indicate that some of the verbs have different meanings where the progressive form can be used. A couple of examples follow.)

be	Now I am a little tired.
believe	I believe God exists.
belong	That is mine. It belongs to me.
exist	Many people believe God exists.
forget	--"What's her name?" --"I forget."
hate	I hate this show. Let's leave.
have*	She has a beautiful family.
hear	Ok. Now I hear it. It's not very loud.
know	Now I know the answer. I'm glad.
like (dislike)	I like Susan but I dislike her husband.
look like	There are a lot of clouds. It looks like rain.
love	I love the show. Let's stay until the end.
mean	"Exhausted" means "extremely tired."
mind*	I have to leave. I hope you don't mind.
need	Please come! I need your help.
owe	You paid the bill, so I owe you at least $20.
own	This is not my book. I don't know who owns it.
prefer	I like tea but I prefer coffee.
realize	Now I realize the problem. I don't study enough.
remember	Now I remember where I left my keys.
see*	I see the sign but I can't read it. It's in Spanish.
seem	Bill seems to be depressed. Let's talk to him.
suppose	I don't want to go but I suppose I should.
think* (= believe)	I think (believe) that he is wrong and you are right.
understand	Now I understand the rule.
want	Linda called. She wants to come with us to the party.

* These verbs have other meanings, and you must use the progressive form ("I am ---- ing") if you are talking about what is happening now.

Have can also mean take (ex: a shower), eat, drink, experience (ex: problems).

• Boris is having problems with his weight, and look at him, he is having another donut with his coffee. He's crazy.

Think can also mean have ideas in one's mind, plan.

• I am thinking about my family.
  I often think about them when I'm alone.
  I am thinking of visiting them.

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