THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE
When you want to emphasize that an action is happening right now, you use the
present progressive tense.
To form the present progressive tense, use the present-tense forms of
estar + the present participle.
The present participle is formed by dropping the ending of the infinitive and
adding –ando for –ar verbs or –iendo for –er and –ir verbs.
Present tense of the verb estar:
estoy
estamos
estás
estáis
está
están
Examples of present participles:
doblar – doblando
cruzar – cruzando
comer – comiendo
escribir – escribiendo
*leer – leyendo
Write the following in Spanish:
1. I am turning right. ________________________________
2. He is stopping at the stop sign.
_______________________________________________
3. We are driving to the supermarket.
_________________________________________________
4. They are writing letters. ______________________________________
5. You (tú) are waiting in the plaza.
______________________________________________________
Present Progressive: Irregular forms
Some verbs have irregular present participle forms.
To form the present participle of –ir stem-changing verbs, the e in the
infinitive form changes to i, and the o in the infinitive form changes to u:
decir – diciendo
pedir – pidiendo
repetir – repitiendo
seguir – siguiendo
servir – sirviendo
vestir – vistiendo
dormir – durmiendo
In the following verbs there is a spelling change:
creer – creyendo
leer – leyendo
traer – trayendo
Write the following in Spanish:
1. The dog is sleeping. _____________________________________
2. The students are repeating the words.
____________________________________________________
3. I am reading a book.
_____________________________________________________
4. She is going straight.
_______________________________________________________
5. We are getting dressed.
_______________________________________________________