Representing thinking, perceiving, liking and desiring

Using verb patterns to represent thoughts and beliefs

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Present simple v present continuous tense

With verbs which represent thoughts and beliefs, the present simple tense is the normal tense for referring to the present situation. Note that the present situation may extend into the past and future as well:

I still believe that the jury system is wonderful. (SCMP24/6/92)

Of course, the students know you are trainee-teachers because they ... the students know. (Bank of English)

And for most verbs, it is not possible to represent the same idea in the present continuous:

I am believing that the jury system is wonderful.

Of course, the students are knowing you are trainee-teachers because they ... the students are knowing.

However, it is possible to use the present continuous with many thinking verbs, especially when the verb represents the activity of thinking, rather than reporting opinions and beliefs:

While Australia is remembering 1945-1995, it was a great honour to me to receive a medal from the Russians recently. (Bank of English)

The use of remembering here implies some kind of commemorative action, rather than simply the mental process of remembering.

The present continuous is also used to indicate that something is beginning:

More girls now are thinking that it is cooler to smoke. (Bank of English)

The meaning here is that the girls have started to think that smoking is fashionable.

The present continuous can also be used when attempting to convey a sense of hesitation, or when clarifying something in the course of a discussion, or when the speaker is about to give an example:

I'm thinking back to my own experience as a teacher. (Bank of English)

I'm thinking of the case where the press were having a go at Princess Anne, and a number of cases where the press have been very aggressive in interviewing politicians. (Bank of English)

For further information about the present simple and present continuous, see Using the present simple and continuous: Overview.

Introduction
Participants associated with thinking verbs
Grammatical patterns associated with thoughts
Verb followed by a that clause
Verb followed by a noun group
Verb followed by a wh-clause
Verb followed by an if/whether clause
Verb followed by the -ing form
Verb followed by an object and the -ing form
Verb followed by the to-infinitive
Verb followed by an object and the to-infinitive
Verb followed by the actual words thought
Ellipsis and substitution with thinking verbs
Present simple v present continuous tense
A note on the order of participants