Continuous tense Flashcards
How to form the gerund from -ar verbs, and -ir, er verbs
replace the -ar of the infinitive by -ando
replace the -er or -ir with -iendo
gerund of to speak
hablando
gerund of to tell
contando
gerund of to walk
caminando
gerund of to fear
temiendo
gerund of to live
viviendo
gerund of to produce
produciendo
gerund of to be (2)
estando
siendo
gerund of to produce
produciendo
gerund of to have
teniendo
gerund of construct
construyendo
gerund of to escape
huir
huyendo
gerund of to possess
poseer
poseyendo
gerund of to read
leer
leyendo
gerund of to boil
bullir
bullendo
gerund of to demand
pedir
pidiendo
gerund of to feel
sentir
sintiendo
gerund of to laugh
reír.
riendo
gerund of to sleep
durmiendo
gerund of to die
muriendo
gerund of to bring or carry
traer, trayendo
gerund of to fall or drop
caer, cayendo
gerund of to say
diciendo
gerund of to stand up
erguirse, irguiéndose
gerund of to go
yendo
gerund of to listen
oír,
oyendo
gerund of can
poder, pudiendo
gerund of to come
viniendo
how to form the continuous tense
appropriate tense of estar and the gerund
I’m (actually) sleeping
estoy comiendo
I’ll be sleeping (at that time)
estaré durmiendo
you were (in the process of) talking
estabas hablando
we’re arriving tomorrow
llegamos mañana
(future, not an action in process)
If you get like that, I’m going
si te pones así, me voy
(future, not continuous)
My son is going to a mixed school (habitual)
Mi hijo va a un colegio mixto
(habitual, not process)
I’m sending you this to tell you that
Te envío ésta para decirte que
(meaning that I will send that letter)
I was leaving the following morning for Paris
Yo salía a la mañana siguiente para París
(future in the past)
Where are you going?
Adónde vas?
(cont rarely used with verbs of motion)
I’m coming
Yo voy
(cont rarely used with verbs of motion)
Can’t you smell that the sausages are burning?
No hueles que se queman/se están quemando
las salchichas?
(both possible)
I was talking to Mario
Yo hablaba/estaba hablando con Mario
(both are possible depending on process v habit)
Ana is reading
Ana lee
Ana está leyendo
He can’t come to the phone now, he’s
doing his accounts
Ahora no se puede poner - está haciendo sus
cuentas
Are they watching me from that
window?
Me estarán viendo/me ven desde esa
ventana?
But I was listening to you!
Pero si te estaba escuchando!
Pero si te escuchaba
He lives in Paris, but at the moment he’s living in Madrid
Vive en París, pero últimamente está viviendo en Madrid
(continuous can express unusual, temporary action)
Where are you working these days?
Dónde estás trabadando estos días?
(continuous can express unusual, temporary action)
I’m (suddenly) feeling ill
Me estoy sintiendo mal
Me siento mal
(continuous can express unusual, temporary action)
But what are you doing?
Pero qué estás haciendo?
(can express suprise, indignation or lively interest)
what are you telling me?!
Qué me estás contando?
(can express suprise, indignation or lively interest)
What were you and I thinking when we conceived these creatures, would you tell me that?
En qué estábamos pensando tú y yo cuando engendramos a estos seres, me quieres explicar?
(can express suprise, indignation or lively interest)
I’ve been thinking that you don’t always
tell the truth
He estado pensando que tú no siempre dices
la verdad
(can express prolonged action)
But are you going to keep on waiting for
her all day?
Pero, vas a estar esperándola todo el día?
(can express prolonged action)
Maria’s face was smiling. I mean, it
wasn’t smiling now, but it had been
smiling a tenth of a second before
El rostro de María sonreía. Es decir, ya
no sonreía, pero había estado sonriendo
un décimo de segundo antes
(can express prolonged action)
What is the difference between the preterite and imperfect continuous
preterite continuous indicates a prolonged action in the past that is finished, unlike the imperfect forms, which merely indicate that an action was going on at that time
He’s going to the cinema a lot these days
Está yendo mucho al cine estos días
(can express constant recurrance)
He comes to the house a lot these days
Está viniendo a casa mucho estos días
(can express constant recurrance)
He’s been leaving for years but never
gets round to going
Lleva años que se está yendo pero nunca
acaba de irse
(constant recurrance)
It’s been cold lately
está haciendo frío
(constant recurrance)
But you’re (formal singular) taking those herbs very often, and continuously they cause harm
pero está usted tomando muy seguido esas hierbas y seguido hacen daño
(repeated actions)
when is the future continuous used
events already felt to be happening in the present, to conjecture about what might be happening now
tomorrow at this time we’ll be flying over the Pacific
Mañana a estas horas estaremos volando sobre el Pacífico
(future felt present)
they’ll probably be eating at this time of day
Estarán comiendo a estas horas
(conjecture about what might be happening now)
Three chandeliers were hanging from the roof
tres arañas de luces colgaban del techo
hat’s lacking is
lo que falta es
the moon was shining on the waves
la luna brillaba sobre las olas
she’s looking tired
parece cansada
How good the honeysuckle smells today
Qué bien huele la madreselva hoy!
Where are you going?
Adónde vas?
he’s coming now
viene ahora
when we were coming back from the cinema I went up to see grandmother for a moment
cuando volvíamos del cine subí un momento a ver a la abuela
you’re being stupid today
Estás estúpido hoy
he was sitting down (in the process of)
he was sitting (seated)
estaba sentándose
estaba sentado
He told me he was having problems with his neighbour
Me dijo que estaba teniendo problemas con su vecino
(tener not used in cont tense, except in the frequentive sense)
He’s wearing a shirt
He’s taking a shirt to his mother
Lleva camisa.
Está llevando una camisa a su madre
