"El presente del progresivo"?

Question

I am told in some instructions (for an assignment) to use "el presente del progresivo" when possible but I don't know what that means. Can anyone help? Mil gracias!

Answer 1

It is a word by word translation from English grammars, not used in Spanish. It means that you have to use the verb "estar" plus the present participle of a verb (e.g. comiendo, bebiendo,...). For example, for "mirar":

(Yo) estoy mirando
(Tú) estás mirando
(ÿl) está mirando

Answer 2

In Spanish: some form of the present tense of "estar" + the present participle of some verb e.g. estoy hablando / estamos comiendo / estás viviendo.

In English: some form of the present tense of "to be" + the present participle of some verb e.g. I am talking / we are eating / you are living

The point is that an action is going on (progressing) in the present (where present is defined as the time frame of the sentence [even if the sentence was written a hundred years ago]).

Answer 3

Gracias a ambos!