The Present and Past Progressive Verb Tenses
There are two steps to forming the present progressive:
Step 1: Use the correct form of estar: estoy, estás, está, estamos estáis or están
Step 2: Add the present participle to the verb:
-Add "ando" to the stem of an ar verb, such as "hablando" for "hablar."
The stem of hablar (to speak) is habl. Just add ando to get "speaking."
- Add "iendo" to the stem of an er or ir verb, such as "comiendo" for "comer" and "viviendo"
for "vivir."
The stem of comer (to eat) is com. Just add iendo to get "eating."
The stem of vivir (to live) is viv. Just add iendo to get "living."
-If the stem of an er or ir verb ends in a vowel, add "yendo" instead of "iendo" to that stem.
Example: leer becomes, leyendo
-ir verbs with a stem change in the present tense need a one-letter stem change in the present
participle. For examples: morir becomes muriendo; dormir becomes durmiendo; mentir
becomes mintiendo, reír becomes riendo and pedir becomes pidiendo.
Actividad A. You are describing what everybody is doing in the classroom right now. Complete
the sentences with the correct forms of the present progressive.
Example for actividad:
la profesora-hablar
La profesora está hablando. (The woman teacher is speaking.)
1. tú/escribir en la pizarra
_____________________________________________________________________________.
2. yo/abrir la ventana
_____________________________________________________________________________.
3. usted/cerrar la puerta
_____________________________________________________________________________.
4. ellos/mirar la pizarra
_____________________________________________________________________________.
5. Carlos/estudiar
_____________________________________________________________________________.
6. ustedes/contestar una pregunta
_____________________________________________________________________________.
7. nosotros/aprender los verbos
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Forming the past progressive is very similar.
While the present progressive is used to describe actions in progress, the imperfect progressive can
be used to describe actions that were in progress. It is formed by simply replacing the present tense
of estar with the imperfect tense of estar:
estaba
estabas
estaba
estábamos
estabais
estaban
You would follow the conjugated estar with the present participle (the "ing" form), just like you do
with the present progressive.
Examples:
Yo estaba estudiando. (I was studying.)
Ellos estaban leyendo. (They were reading.)
It's true the same statement can be made by using the simple imperfect, but the imperfect
progressive often provides a more accurate description of the action. For example:
Yo leía.
This could be interpreted "I was reading," or perhaps "I used to read." The imperfect progressive,
"Yo estaba leyendo," can only be interpreted, "I was reading."
ACTIVITY B: Go back to the same sentences you wrote in Activity A and write them again, this
time using the imperfect progressive.
la profesora-hablar
La profesora estaba hablando. (The woman teacher was speaking.)
1. tú/escribir en la pizarra
_____________________________________________________________________________.
2. yo/abrir la ventana
_____________________________________________________________________________.
3. usted/cerrar la puerta
_____________________________________________________________________________.
4. ellos/mirar la pizarra
_____________________________________________________________________________.
5. Carlos/estudiar
_____________________________________________________________________________.
6. ustedes/contestar una pregunta
_____________________________________________________________________________.
7. nosotros/aprender los verbos
_____________________________________________________________________________.