present progesssive

Question

Fill in the blanks with the present progressive form of the verb. I have them done but I do not believe they are correct?

1. Rubén jugan (jugar) ping pong con su hermano.
2. María y Luis leyendo (leer) el mismo libro.
3. Tú nadia (nadar) en la piscina del hotel.
4. El Sr. Velázquez coman (comer) la ensalada (salad).
5. Tus primas estudian (estudiar) en la habitación.

Hi and welcome to the forum. - francobollo, Dec 2, 2012

Answer 1

You're right in your belief. I suggest you go to the top of the page, clcik Learn and then Click Spanish Grammar to help you with the Present progressive and how to use it.

Answer 2

Your answers are not correct. The present progressive is formed as follows:

conjugated estar in the present + verb stem + (ando/iendo or yendo). Try them again.

Thanks!

those are my answers next to the verb in parenthesis. - wonderland, Dec 2, 2012

Answer 3

Hi Wonderland, as Franco mentioned, to form the present progressive you need to use two verbs.

1. estar (conjugated in the present tense to match the person doing the action)

eg estoy = I am, está = he is, estamos = we are, están = they are etc

plus

2. the Spanish equivalent of the -ing form of another verb. In Spanish these forms will always end in -ando or -iendo.

(comer) comiendo/eating, (escribir) escribiendo/writing, (jugar) jugando etc

So let's take your first example:

Rubén (jugar) ping pong con su hermano.

1.Conjugate estar in the present tense to fit 'Rubén' - (él) está

2.Add the -ing form of juager - jugando

Rubén está jugando ping pong con su hermano.

Now you try the others.

:-) - francobollo, Dec 2, 2012

I am so happy you broke that down, b/c I get so confused when to use estan and etc. Which word would I use if I have two subjects like "Carla y yo"?? - sam30317, Dec 3, 2012

my pleasure, see my answer to your second question in a new post below :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 3, 2012

Answer 4

Which word would I use if I have two subjects like "Carla y yo"?? - sam30317

You just have to think which pronoun could you use instead of saying 'Carla y yo' without changing the meaning.

Would it be - I? nope

You? nope

They? no, not that either

We? yes

Carla & I could only be replaced by the pronoun 'we' / 'nosotros' without changing the meaning, so you just use the 'we' / 'nosotros' form of the verb.

Carla & I are eating. = We are eating.

Carla y yo estamos comiendo. = (Nosotros) Estamos comiendo.