Spanish Grammar Lesson on the Present Progressive Tense

May 13, 2012 by MerrillLakisha822

The Present Progressive Tense

The progressive tense is utilised to describe actions that are in progress at a certain moment in time (the present). In English, it is the auxiliary verb to be and the present participle. In layperson terms, the present participle indicates verbs with ing attached to the finish of the verb.

The present tense is used a lot a lot more often in English than it is employed in Spanish. As in Spanish, we use it to talk about actions that are in progress now or proper now. But in English, we also use the present progressive tense to describe habitual actions or to speak in general. For instance:

I am living in the suburbs.

I am operating in the post workplace.

I am taking Spanish lessons.

In Spanish, the present tense is utilised to emphasize that an action is taking spot now. But numerous Spanish grammar books do not indicate that there is one more use for the present progressive tense. And that the present progressive tense can be utilized to tension that an action is continuous.

I learned this 1 from trial and error. As embarrassing as it is to admit, a 5 year old small girl corrected my Spanish grammar. Thats how I located out.

The initial time it happened it happened with an adult. I was attempting to tell an adult that I am understanding Spanish. Since the Spanish grammar books taught me that the Spanish present progressive tense is only utilized to describe actions that are in progress appropriate now, I did not use the present progressive tense to say that I am learning Spanish. Since I was not studying Spanish at that particular moment. At that quite moment, I was trying to talk to her in Spanish. So I said Aprendo espaol. She politely corrected me and said se dice estoy aprendiendo espaol.

At the time, I believed that possibly she was incorrect and that my textbook was correct. So I tried telling my subsequent door neighboors 5 year old that Yo aprendo espaol who proudly corrected my Spanish. She told me: youre supposed to say yo estoy aprendiendo espaol.

Forming the Present Progressive Tense

In Spanish, we form the present progressive tense by conjugating the verb estar with the present participle. You form standard ar present participles by dropping the ar and adding ando. And you form regular er present participles by dropping the er and adding iendo

Lets try it.

My grandmother is consuming pork chops.

Mi abuelita est comiendo chuletas de cerdo.

The uncle is working.

El to est trabajando.

The father-in-law is dancing.

El suegro est bailando.

The stepmother is cooking the lobster.

La madrastra est cocinando la langosta.

The grandson is carrying out absolutely nothing.

El nieto no est haciendo nada.

You are washing the windows.

T ests limpiando las ventanas.

Now lets try a handful of on your personal. The answers appear at the bottom.

The nephew is selling automobiles.

The daughter-in-law is writing a letter.

The sister-in-law is receiving a lot of gifts.

The grandchildren are playing.

The cousin is acquiring a tie.

Answers:

El sobrino est vendiendo carros.

La nuera est escribiendo una carta.

La cuada est recibiendo muchos regalos.

Los nietos estn jugando.

El primo est comprando una corbata.

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