32.1 Introducing the Progressive Tenses
The progressive tenses are used to emphasize actions that are ongoing at a given point in time.
The Present Progressive
allows us to emphasize the action is ongoing in the present.
The Future Progressive
allows us to emphasize the action is ongoing in the future.
There are more progressive tenses, but we'll cover those in the next lesson. In this lesson we'll just be covering the present progressive. Once you have the present progressive down, the rest of the progressive tenses will be easy to learn.
32.2 Formation of the Progressive Tenses
The formation of the progressive tenses is made up of two verbs:
- A conjugated form of estar (to be)
- and the present participle of the action verb.
Estar tells us who does the action and when it happens, and the present participle tells us what the action is.
If you've completed the practice from all previous lessons, then you've already learned to conjugate estar in all the ways needed to form the progressive tenses! The only new formation you need to learn is the present participle. So let's dig in!
Note: You may also hear the term gerund or gerundio in Spanish to refer to this form. We've chosen present participle to contrast with past participle as the terms participle and gerund are a little tricky to define across languages.
32.3 Present Participles in English
Here are some examples of present participles in English:
talk → talking
eat → eating
live → living
As you can see, English has present participles that are formed regularly by adding -ing (talking, eating, living). Spanish has both regular and irregular present participles. Let's start with the regular formation.
32.4 Regular Present Participles in Spanish
Finding regular present participle forms is a simple two step process:
32.5 Irregular Present Participles in Spanish
Of course, there are some irregulars; here are a few you will encounter in your VerbMaster practice:
| Infinitive | Present Participle |
|---|---|
| decir (to say) | diciendo |
| creer (to believe) | creyendo |
| morir (to die) | muriendo |
| traer (to bring) | trayendo |
32.6 Using the Present Progressive
OK! Now that we know what the present participle is, it's time to put it to use with a progressive tense. Let's start with the present progressive.
The Present Progressive
The present progressive emphasizes actions in the present as in-progress or occurring repeatedly.
To form the present progressive, follow these three steps:
32.7 Using the Present Progressive in Real Life
Below are some examples of how you can use the present progressive in the real world:
Estoy hablando con la capitana sobre nuestro problema con el pulpo.
I am talking to the captain about our octopus problem.
Estás comiendo demasiado arroz.
You are eating too much rice.
Él está viviendo debajo de las escaleras por ahora.
He is living under the stairs for now.
Practice Time!
Master these verb conjugations from Lesson 32