The Present Continuous

 

BACK TO INDEX                                                                              NEXT EXERCISE

 

To say what is happening now in Spanish, you can use the Present Continuous. To form this you will need two parts:

 

• The present tense of ESTAR and the PRESENT PARTICIPLE.

Can you remember the formation of the verb ESTAR (to be) in the present tense? Here it is …..

 

Estoy

Estás

Está

Estamos

Estáis

Están

 

 

• To form the regular present participle you need to remove from the infinitive the –AR or –ER or –IR and then add these endings:

 

            -AR verb > add -ANDO for example: hablar > hablando. (speaking)

 

            -ER verb > add -IENDO for example: comer > comiendo. (eating)

 

            -IR verb > add -IENDO for example: vivir > viviendo. (living)

 

• Irregular present participles have a spelling change:

 

Infinitivo	Gerundio	Inglés
DORMIR	DURMIENDO	SLEEPING
MORIR	MURIENDO	DYING
MENTIR	MINTIENDO	LYING
REIR	RIENDO	LAUGHING
SERVIR	SIRVIENDO	SERVING
DECIR	DICIENDO	SAYING
PREFERIR	PREFIRIENDO	PREFERING
SEGUIR	SIGUIENDO	FOLLOWING
LEER	LEYENDO	READING
CONSTRUIR	CONSTRUYENDO	BUILDING
OIR	OYENDO	HEARING
TRAER	TRAYENDO	BRINGING
IR	YENDO	GOING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Finally you put the part of ESTAR and the PRESENT PARTICIPLE together:

            For example: I am eating                             >          Estoy comiendo

                                    My brother is sleeping          >          Mi hermana está durmiendo (irregular participle – look at above box)

 

BACK TO INDEX                                                                              NEXT EXERCISE