Spanish Lección 5 - The Present Progressive

Introduction to the Present Progressive

The goal of this lesson is to learn how to express what people are doing right now using the present progressive (el presente progresivo).

Structure and Formation

Both Spanish and English use the present progressive, which is formed using the present tense of the verb "to be" combined with the present participle (the "-ing" form in English).

In Spanish, the formula is:

$estar + \text{present participle}$

Examples of the Present Progressive in Use

• Los chicos están jugando. (The kids are playing.)

• Estoy haciendo las maletas. (I am packing.)

• Estás mirando la televisión. (You are watching TV.)

• Están cantando. (They are singing.)

• Estamos esperando. (We are waiting.)

• Estoy comiendo. (I am eating.)

• Ella está trabajando. (She is working.)

Formation of the Present Participle

The present participle for regular verbs is determined by the verb's infinitive ending. One must first identify the stem and then add the appropriate ending.

Regular Verbs

Vowel-Stem Verbs

When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, the present participle ending changes to -yendo to avoid having three vowels in a row.

Irregular Present Participles

Fully Irregular Participles

The verbs ir, poder, and venir have unique present participles that must be memorized:

• ir → yendo

• poder → pudiendo

• venir → viniendo

Stem-Changing -ir Verbs

Verbs that are -ir stem-changers in the present tense also undergo a vowel change in the present participle. Note that $-ar$ and $-er$ stem-changers do not do this.

1. e:ie change in present tense → e → in present participle:

• preferir → prefiriendo

• sentir → sintiendo

2. e:i change in present tense → e → in present participle:

• conseguir → consiguiendo

• pedir → pidiendo

• seguir → siguiendo

3. o:ue change in present tense → o → in present participle:

• dormir → durmiendo

Usage and Comparison with English

Emphasis on Action in Progress

The present progressive is used significantly less in Spanish than in English. In Spanish, it specifically emphasizes that an action is currently in progress at this very moment.

• Ella todavía está escuchando música. (She is still listening to music.)

• Javier está estudiando ahora mismo. (Javier is studying right now.)

Using Simple Present Instead

In English, the present progressive is often used for actions occurring over a general period of time or for future events. In Spanish, the simple present tense is preferred for these situations.

Actions over time:

• Spanish: Tomo inglés este semestre.

• English: I'm taking English this semester.

Future actions:

• Spanish: Salgo hoy a las tres.

• English: I'm leaving today at three.

Introductory Dialogue Context

The following statements illustrate the use of the present progressive and general observations as used in the lesson's context:

• "Todavía no está haciendo mucho calor." (It is not getting very hot yet.)

• "Estoy leyendo que en el Alcázar está el Museo del Ejército." (I am reading that the Army Museum is in the Alcázar.)