5.2 The present progressive

5.2 El Presente Progresivo

ANTE TODO The present progressive is used in Spanish and in English.

In Spanish, it is formed with the present tense of the verb estar, followed by the present participle (gerund) of the main verb. In English, that corresponds with the –ing form.

Estoy escuchando. I am listening.

Carlos está corriendo. Carlos is running.

Ella está escribiendo una carta.

She is writing a letter.

5.2 The present progressive

El presente progresivo is formed using the present tense of the verb estar and the present participle of the main verb. The translation is am/is/are +verbing.

ESTAR + PARTICIPIO PRESENTE

Estoy pescando.

I am fishing.

ESTAR + PARTICIPIO PRESENTE

Estamos comiendo.We are eating.

5.2 The present progressive

The formation of the present participle of regular –ar, –er , –ir verbs involves dropping the infinitive ending and adding the endings for the present participle.

INFINITIVE STEM ENDING PRESENT PARTICIPLE

hablar habl- -ando hablando

comer com- -iendo comiendo

escribir escrib- -iendo escribiendo

5.2 The present progressive

¡ATENCIÓN!

When the stem of an –er or –ir verb ends in a vowel, the present participle ends in –yendo instead of –iendo.

leer → le → leyendo

oír → o → oyendo

traer → tra → trayendo

5.2 The present progressive

Ir, poder y venir have irregular present participles: (yendo, pudiendo, viniendo), but they are used infrequently.

Verbs that are -ir with stem changes in the present also have a stem change in the present participle.

5.2 The present progressive

e:ie en el presente e i en el participio presente

preferir prefiriendosentir sintiendo

e:i en el presente e i en el participio presente

conseguir consiguiendopedir pidiendoseguir siguiendo

o:ue en el presente o u en el participio presente

dormir durmiendo

-ir verbs with stem changes

5.2 The present progressive

The present progressive is not used in Spanish as much as in English. In Spanish, it is only used to emphasize that an action is in the process of taking place right at the very moment.

She is listening to Latin music right now. Ella está escuchando música latina ahora mismo.

Álex y su amigo todavía están jugando al fútbol.

Álex and his friend are still playing soccer.

DIFFERENCES

5.2 The present progressive

In English, we often use the present progressive for situations and actions for a period/duration of time or to express the future. In Spanish we use the present instead of the present progressive.

Javier estudia computación este semestre. Javier is studying computer science this semester.

Inés y Maite salen mañana para los Estados Unidos. Inés and Maite are leaving tomorrow for the United States.

DIFFERENCES

5.2 The present progressiveREMEMBERPresent progressive in Spanish is never used to express the future, nor to express action during a period of time. It only pertains to “ahora mismo” (right now).

Use the present to express duration of time in Spanish: I am studying Spanish this year. Estudio español este año.

Use ir + a + infinitive to express the near future in Spanish:

I am going to study tonight. Voy a estudiar esta noche.