Download Participles

Participles
There are two types of participles in Spanish, the past participle and the present
participle. You have already learned how to form the past participle. For regular verbs
you add –ado to the stem of –ar verbs and –ido to the stem of –er or –ir verbs. And
remember there are about 11 major irregular past participles such as hecho, dicho, roto,
vuelto, escrito, frito, visto, puesto, abierto, bendito, and muerto. These translate as done
(made), said (told), broken, returned, written, fried, seen, put, opened, blessed and dead.
As you might imagine a participle in only part of a verb. It is not a complete conjugation
in an of itself. The past participle needs help in order to be a complete verb conjugation.
You can't say "I seen it." Seen is a past participle. The two most prominent helping
verbs are the verb "to be" and the verb "to have". Therefore in the above sentence it can
be corrected by using the verb "to have"as "I have seen it." You can also use the verb "to
be", such as "I was seen at the party." If the past participle is used by itself without a
helping verb, it is no longer a verb and is considered an adjective. "I don't like fried
bananas." Here "fried" is a past participle used as an adjective, not a verb.
Present Participle
The present participle is actually easier to understand and form than the past participle.
In English it is simple the –ing form of the verb such as leaving, saying, working,
reading, etc.
But wait! You learned a long time ago how to say "I am working". Remember trabajo
has three meanings: I work, I do work and I am working. It is simply the present tense.
Then why do we need a present participle?
Remember that a participle is only part of a verb. It is not a complete verb in an of itself.
Look at this sentence: "Working hard will take you far in life." What part of speech is
"working" in this sentence. Is it still a verb? No, not really. In this sentence it is a noun.
Notice that it is the subject of the sentence. In English when the –ing form of a verb is
used as a noun, it is technically called a gerund. But this is not important in Spanish.
What is important is that as with a past participle, a present participle cannot be used by
itself and remain a verb. It needs a helping verb. And when it is used by itself it ceases
to be a verb. When the past participle is used without a helping verb it is an adjective.
When the present participle is used without a helping verb it is a noun.
How to form a present participle
The good news is that a present participle is easier to form than a past participle. There
are only three rules and only one irregular. And that irregular verb is rarely used. Two
of the rules you are already familiar with.
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Rule 1: To the stem of an –ar verb add –ando and to the stem of a –er or –ir verb add
–iendo. Look at the following present participles: hablando (speaking),
pensando (thinking), teniendo (having), viviendo (living).
Rule 2: If the verb is an –ir verb and has an o or e in the stem, then change the "o" to a
"u" or the "e" to an "i". This is the exact same rule for stem changing verbs –ir
verbs for the 3rd and 5th persons of the preterite tense. Look at the following
verbs: durmiendo (sleeping), prefiriendo (preferring), sintiendo (feeling),
repitiendo (repeating).
Rule 3: A tripthong where the middle vowel is an "i" will change the "i" to a "y". This is
the same rule for the 3rd and 5th person of the preterite tense. Look at the
following verbs: leyendo (reading), oyendo (hearing), trayendo (bringing),
creyendo (believing).
Irregular verb: yendo (going). This is the only irregular present participle in Spanish.
Progressive Tenses
In Spanish the present participle can be used as a verb if it has a helping verb. The only
helping verb it uses is the verb "to be". And in Spanish it uses the verb estar not the verb
ser. And if estar is in the past tense, use the imperfect, not the preterite. Look at the
following examples:
I am leaving
they are thinking
he was working
we were traveling
she is sleeping
I am reading
salgo
piensan
trabajaba
viajábamos
duerme
leo
estoy saliendo
están pensando
estaba trabajando
estábamos viajando
está durmiendo
estoy leyendo
Notice in the center column you can say each of the above using the present tense or the
imperfect tense. As an alternative you can say the same thing using the verb estar in the
present or imperfect tense followed by the present participle.
Then what is the difference in saying Salgo or Estoy saliendo? In English there is no
difference. Think of the word "progressive" as meaning that you are actually doing
whatever the verb is at the time you're speaking.
I'm reading a good book
Leo un buen libro.
In this sentence the present tense was used. This means that you are involved in a good
book, but it doesn't necesarily mean that you have it in your hands at this moment reading
it.
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I'm reading a good book.
Estoy leyendo un buen libro.
Here the present progressive was used and as such you would expect to see the book in
your hands. You are actually right now in the process of reading the book.
The past progressive carries more of an emphasis than a "right now" even since it is
happening in the past. Remember that the imperfect means was or were + ing. The
reason for this is that it implies "throughout" a period of time.
He was working in Florida last week.
Trabajaba en La Florida la semana pasada.
He may have worked a few days or all week, we don't know.
He was working in Florida last week.
Estaba trabajando en La Florida la semana
pasada.
Because of the emphasis of the past progressive tense he was working throughout the
week. It is the process of working that is important.
You can combine tenses that you already know or will learn in the future and create
progressive tenses from them.
I have gone out with him several times.
He salido con él varias veces.
This is the present perfect tense.
I have been going out with him for a year.
He estado saliendo con él por un año.
Here He estado is the present perfect of estar, but then estar is following by a present
participle creating technically what is known as the present perfect progressive.
I had been going out with him for a year.
Había estado saliendo con él por un año.
This is the same thing except that it uses Había estado, the past perfect with the
progressive.
The verbs "to go"
Remember that yendo from the ver ir is the only irregular present participle in Spanish.
Rarely do you use yendo in the present or past progessive tenses. Simply use the present
or the imperfect. I am going: voy I was going: iba
Pronouns
Remember the rules for positioning of pronouns with various types of verbs. These
pronouns include direct object, indirect object and reflexive pronouns.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
They go before conjugate verbs.
They go before negative commands.
They are attached to infinitives.
They are attached to affirmative commands.
They are attached to present participles.
Rule #5 is the new one.
Getting up is difficult.
Levantándose es difícil.
Notice that the reflexive pronoun, se, is attached to the present participle. As an aside
what would it be if you wanted to say "(my or me) getting up is difficult?
Levantándome es difícil.
Remember that reflexive pronouns are always the same person as the subject.
Giving him the money is important. Dándole el dinero es importante.
Again the indirect object pronoun, le, is attached to the present participles.
In the progressive tenses you have a choice. Since there is always a conjugated verb in a
progressive tense you may apply rule #1 and put the pronoun before the conjugated verb.
Or you may apply rule #5 and attach the pronoun to the present participle. Either way is
correct.
I am visiting him today.
Lo estoy visitando hoy.
Estoy visitándolo hoy.
When you attach a pronoun to a present participle there is always a written accent.
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Ejercicios
Escribe el participio presente.
1. salir
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11. traer
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2. vivir
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12. hablar
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3. come
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13. venir
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4. dormir
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14. escuchar
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5. leer
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15. mirar
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6. ir
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16. oír
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7. vestirse
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17. estar
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8. dar
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18. ser
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9. levantarse __________________
19. creer
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10. saber
20. perferir
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Usando el Progresivo, traduzca lo siguiente:
1. I am working
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2. they are reading
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3. we were saying
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4. he was living
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5. I am telling him
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6. they were sitting down
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7. I have been hoping
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8. he was watching
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9. they had been having
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10. he is giving us
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