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 
comer 
escribir 
habl- 
com- 
escrib- 
-ando 
-iendo 
-iendo 
hablando
comiendo
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
oír
traer
→
→
→
le
o
tra
→
→
→
leyendo
oyendo
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
-ir verbs with stem changes
e:ie en el presente
preferir
sentir
e:i en el presente
conseguir
pedir
seguir
o:ue en el presente
dormir
e  i en el participio presente


prefiriendo
sintiendo
e  i en el participio presente



consiguiendo
pidiendo
siguiendo
o  u en el participio presente

durmiendo
5.2 The present progressive
DIFFERENCES
 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.
5.2 The present progressive
DIFFERENCES
 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.
5.2 The REMEMBER
present progressive
Present 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.