Present Progressive For Intermediate learners

What is the Present Progressive Tense?

Present progressive (presente progresivo) describes an action that is in progress at the current moment.

Structure

To form the present progressive tense of any verb, the verb "estar" is conjugated for person and tense, followed by the present participle form of the main verb which is invariable for all persons and numbers:

estar (present conjugation) + present participle (fixed)

Conjugation of "Estar"

"Estar" is an irregular verb in the present tense. The different forms of "estar" in the present tense are:

yo	estoy
tú	estás
él / ella / usted	está
nosotros/as	estamos
vosotros/as	estáis
ellos / ellas / ustedes	están

Formation of Present Participles

Formation of present participles differs based on the ending of the infinitive form of the verb:

For verbs that end in -ar → replace -ar with -ando: hablar → hablando

• For verbs that end in -er and -ir → replace -er or -ir with -iendo: comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo

However, some verbs have irregular present participle forms that do not follow these patterns and their formation involves changes in the verb stem. For example:

leer → leyendo

dormir → durmiendo

decir → diciendo

venir → viniendo

ir → yendo

Here are some example sentences:

Example

Estoy hablando.

I am speaking.

Estás comiendo.

You are eating.

Está durmiendo.

He/she is sleeping.

Negation

To negate a present progressive verb, the negative marker "no" comes before the verb "estar" or the object pronoun. For example:

Example

Estamos estudiando. → No estamos estudiando.

We are studying. → We are not studying.

Lo estoy escribiendo. → No lo estoy escribiendo.

I'm writing it. → I'm not writing it.

Usage

The present progressive is used to talk about:

Actions happening at the moment of speaking:

Example

Estoy escribiendo un mensaje.

I am writing a message.

Temporary ongoing situation:

Example

Estamos trabajando en un proyecto.

We are working on a project.

Repeated action with "siempre" (expresses annoyance):

Example

Siempre estás quejándote.

You're always complaining.

Present vs. Present Progressive

While both the present tense and the present progressive can talk about current actions, the present progressive emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action at the moment of speaking and is used when the use of the present might create ambiguity regarding the ongoing nature of the action. Compare the examples:

Example

Estudio español.

I'm studying Spanish./I study Spanish.

Present simple - this sentence doesn't specify whether the speaker is talking about the present moment or a general process of studying a language.

Estoy estudiando español

I'm studying Spanish (right now).

Present progressive - this sentence highlights the sense of continuity of the action at the moment of speaking.