Download PRESENT PROGRESSIVE notes

Present Progressive
The Present Progressive is the equivalent to the English "Be doing" something. The Present
Progressive has two components: A conjugation of Estar and a present participle.
This may help you to remember this is a two-part verb tense:
The first part, Present, refers to the present tense conjugation of the verb Estar,
Yo
Tú
Él, ella, usted
Nosotros
Ellos, ellas,
ustedes
estoy
estás
está
estamos
están
The second part, Progressive, refers to the Participle ("-ing" form of a verb; for
example "running", "talking", "playing", etc). Let's look at how to form the participle in
Spanish:
We form the participle in Spanish by dropping the -ar, -er, or -ir from the infinitive of a verb
and adding one of two endings, -ando or -iendo.
to all -Ar verbs, add -ando
1) Hablar [to talk]
2) Habl-ar = habl3) Habl+ando = hablando [talking]
to -Er and -Ir verbs, add -iendo
1) Comer [to eat]
2) Com-er = com3) Com+iendo = comiendo [eating]
1) Escribir [to write]
2) Escrib-ir = escrib3) Escrib+iendo = escribiendo (writing)
We combine these participles with a form of Estar to form the Present Progressive to describe
what people are smack in the middle of doing:
Estoy hablando.
I am talking. (Right now)
Él está comiendo.
He is (in the middle of) eating.
Estamos escribiendo.
We are (currently) writing.
Están estudiando.
They are (at this moment) studying.
Only "-ir" Stem-changing verbs continue to stem-change in the participle with a small
difference.
They go to a single letter stem-change:
•
•
O-->UE stem-changers change from O--> U;
Both E-->IE as well as E-->I stem-changers change from E---> i.
This is a stem-change which will occur in the rest of the tenses (other than the Present Tense.)
This is why stem-changing -ir verbs have two sets of vowels in parenthesis listed:
Dormir (ue, u)- The first UE indicates the stem-change in the present tense, and the second
vowel, U, indicates the stem-change in any other tenses where a stem-change occurs.
Decir [to Say or Tell]
diciendo
Dormir [to Sleep]
durmiendo
Pedir [to Request or Ask For]
pidiendo
As might be expected, there are a few irregular Present Participles.
Adding the double vowel "-iendo" to -er and -ir stems (which already end in a vowel) leaves the
weak unaccented "i" in the middle. It isn't able to stand up between two strong vowels. The "i" will
need to be replaced with a "Y" in the participle:
Leer [to Read]
leiendo
leyendo (see?)
Oír [to Hear]
oiendo
oyendo (easy!)