Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures Online

There are a few exceptions, as some unmarked stative verbs do not have present reference, but past reference. Some stative verbs thus need to be marked the same way as dynamic verbs to have present reference:

• I kwè an pa té an kaz-la. [3SG think 1SG NEG PST in house-DEF] 'He thought/supposed I was not home.'
• I ka kwè an ja pati. [3SG PROG think 1SG already leave] 'He thinks I have already left.'

• An sonjé Jòj yè. [1SG think.about George yesterday] 'I thought about George yesterday.'
• An ka sonjé Jòj tou lé jou. [1SG HAB think.about George every day] 'I think about George every day.'

It is interesting to notice that the stative verbs sanm and pòtré, which are synonymous, do not behave the same way; present reference is unmarked for pòtré and marked for sanm, as in:

• I pòtré papa'y. [3SG look.like father.3SG] 'He looks like his father.'
• I ka sanm papa'y. [3SG PRS look like father 3SG] 'He looks like his father.'

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Stative verbs with present reference and dynamic verbs with past perfective reference are both unmarked