Progressive tenses are used to express actions in

Progressive Tenses
Pattern: Progressive tenses are used to express actions in progress. Progressive tenses make use of
two verbs: the verb estar, and the gerund form of the action in progress.
The Progressive Tenses
There are five progressive tenses in Spanish. They all use the same gerund form. The only
difference between them is how the verb estar is conjugated.
Forming the Gerund
The gerund is sometimes referred to as the present participle. In English, it is the verb form that
ends in “-ing.” To form it in Spanish, add the ending -ando to AR verb stems and -iendo to ER and IR
verb stems, like this:
Infinitive Verb
hablar
comer
vivir
Gerund
hablando
comiendo
viviendo
English
speaking
eating
living
There are only two exceptions to this rule:
1. ER and IR verb stems not ending in a consonant use -yendo rather than -iendo. (including ir)
2. ER and IR stem changing verbs use the e-i and o-u pattern. For example:
•
pedir
pidiendo
•
morir
muriendo
Present Progressive
To form the present progressive tense, use the present tense form of the verb estar together with
the gerund form like this:
Yo estoy estudiando español.
Ellos están durmiendo hoy.
Tú estás comiendo pan.
I am studying Spanish.
They are sleeping today.
You are eating bread.
Imperfect Progressive
To form the imperfect progressive tense, use the imperfect tense form of the verb estar together
with the gerund form like this:
Yo estaba estudiando español.
Ellos estaban durmiendo ayer.
Tú estabas comiendo pan.
I was studying Spanish.
They were sleeping yesterday.
You were eating bread.
Preterit Progressive
To form the preterit progressive tense, use the preterit tense form of the verb estar together with
the gerund form like this:
Yo estuve estudiando español.
Ellos estuvieron durmiendo.
Tú estuviste comiendo pan.
I was studying Spanish (at that moment).
They were sleeping (at that moment).
You were eating bread (at that moment).
Future Progressive
To form the future progressive tense, use the future tense form of the verb estar together with
the gerund form like this:
Yo estaré estudiando español.
Ellos estarán durmiendo mañana.
Tú estarás comiendo pan.
I will be studying Spanish.
They will be sleeping tomorrow.
You will be eating bread.
Conditional Progressive
To form the conditional progressive tense, use the conditional tense form of the verb estar
together with the gerund form like this:
Yo estaría estudiando español.
Ellos estarían durmiendo en ese caso.
Tú estarías comiendo pan.
I would be studying Spanish.
They would be sleeping in that case.
You would be eating bread.