Beginning Spanish ¡Empecemos por aquí!

Module B: Our daily routines  • 307 Lengua 4.4: Present progressive The verb estar has many uses, and one of them is in progressive tenses. A progressive tense expresses an action that is in progress. You are reading this sentence: “Estás leyendo esta oración.” To form the present progressive tense, select the appropriate conjugation of the verb estar , depend- ing on the subject ( estoy , estás , está , estamos , están ). Next, add the present participle of the main verb. Present participles can be formed by dropping -ar , -er , or -ir from an infinitive and then adding -ando to -ar verbs and -iendo to -er and -ir verbs. I am listening. Estoy escuchando. They are writing. Están escribiendo. Ejemplos ¿Qué estás haciendo? No puedo hablar ahora porque estoy trabajando. Los estudiantes están escribiendo. Note that the present participle is not an adjective, and so it does not change its form based on number or gender. Only the verb estar changes, and its changes depend on the subject. Yo estoy caminando Tú estás caminando Ella, él, usted está caminando Nosotras, nosotros estamos caminando Ellas, ellos, ustedes están caminando It would be a mistake to conclude that all words ending in -ing in English will translate into present par- ticiples in Spanish. This present progressive tense is only for expressing an action that is in progress. There are many uses of -ing in English. For example, none of these sentences contains a present progressive verb: I am sitting in a chair. ( Estoy sentada [seated]. I am not actively doing anything.) I am going to the store tonight. ( Voy a la tienda esta noche . This expresses a future event.) Climbing is difficult. ( Escalar es difícil . Climbing is a noun; no action is in progress.) We are speaking a lot lately. ( Hablamos mucho últimamente . This is habitual; no action is in progress.) I love swimming. ( Me encanta nadar . Swimming is a noun; no action is in progress.)