Progressive Tenses
Present Progressive and Imperfect
Progressive
Present Participle
• The Spanish present participle is equivalent to
the –ing ending in English.
• It is formed in –ar verbs by dropping the –ar
from the infinitive and adding –ando to the
stem.
• It is formed in –er or –ir verbs by dropping the
–er or –ir from the infinitive and adding
–iendo to the stem.
Present Participle
• Examples:
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Hablar – to speak (infinitive)
Habl (infinitive stem)
Hablando – speaking
Comer – to eat (infinitive)
Com (infinitive stem)
Comiendo – eating
Irregular Present Participles
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Caer (to fall)
Creer (to believe)
Decir (to say/tell)
Dormir (to sleep)
Ir (to go)
Leer (to read)
Mentir (to lie)
Morir (to die)
Oír (to hear)
Cayendo (falling)
Creyendo (believing)
Diciendo (telling/saying)
Durmiendo (sleeping)
yendo (going)
leyendo (reading)
mintiendo (lying)
muriendo (dying)
oyendo (hearing)
Irregular Present Participles
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Pedir (to ask for)
Poder (to be able)
Preferir (to prefer)
Reír (to laugh)
Seguir (to follow)
Sentir (to feel)
Servir (to serve)
Traer (to bring)
Venir (to come)
pidiendo (asking for)
pudiendo (being able)
prefiriendo (preferring)
reindo (laughing)
siguiendo (following)
sintiendo (feeling)
sirviendo (serving)
trayendo (bringing)
viniendo (coming)
“Estar” in the present tense
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Estar – to be
Estoy
Estás
Está
Estamos
Están
Present Progressive
• The present progressive tense is used to express
what is happening at the moment.
• It is expressed by combining the present tense
form of the verb estar (to be) with the present
participle of the action verb.
• Example: I am speaking on the phone.
• I am speaking – Estoy hablando
• on the phone. – por teléfono.
• Estoy hablando por teléfono.
“Estar” in the Imperfect Tense
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Estar – to be
Estaba
Estabas
Estaba
Estábamos
Estaban
Imperfect (Past) Progressive
• The imperfect or past progressive can be used to
stress what was happening in the past.
• It is expressed by combining the correct
imperfect form of the verb estar (to be) with the
present participle of the action verb.
• Example: I was riding the horse.
• I was riding – Estaba montando
• the horse. – el caballo.
• Estaba montando el caballo.
Progressive Exercises
1. I am speaking with my parents.
2. You (familiar) are leaving right now.
3. She is running with her boyfriend.
4. We are looking for his dog.
Progressive Exercises
5. They are telling the truth.
6. I was sleeping last night.
7. You (familiar) were asking for help.
8. He was following her advice.
Progressive Exercises
9. We were bringing the food.
10. They were coming to the church.