Using present participle

Question

Is "Me encargo de parando las personas de yendo circa de las focas y haciendo ruidos altos" correct, or should any of the present participles be infinitive? I get really confused when wanting to use ....ing in Spanish as we would in English.

Another question (sorry!) could I say "He estado sentando en los acantilados" or would "he estado sentado....." be correct? I have looked at the explanation in the grammar section, but not sure if I have understood it correctly.

Thanks!

Answer 1

My opinion, for what it's worth: "He estado sentado" means "I have been seated"; "he estoy sentando" means "I have been sitting." Half dozen of one, six of the other, as English speakers sometimes say to mean there's not enough difference between them to quibble. If you want to get technical, you might say that "sentando" implies action and that you really don't mean (or at least I'm pretty sure you don't) that you have been sitting down over and over for any length of time.

I thought "he estoy sentando" would mean "I am sitting" rather than "I have been sitting". I get really confused about this. - ukali, Nov 12, 2015

Answer 2

The first one is a little convoluted, so please render the original in English.

As to the second one, think of another verb and see if you can relate it to the one you are asking about.

I have been angry - he estado enojado

Now:

I have been angering... = He estado enojando...

Tell me if you need more help.

Oops. I should have started with "Me encargo de ......." I wanted to say "I am in charge of stopping people from going close to the seals or making loud noises". In the 2nd sentence I want to say "I have been sitting ...." - ukali, Nov 11, 2015

Answer 3

Soy a cargo de parar.... (look up cargarse it doesn't mean to be in charge)

I don't know what you want to say in your second sentence. Put the English in the Translate function on this site (at the home window) and see what you get. Me he sentado would be "I have sat" from "sentarse".

Oops. Meant to say "me encargo de....." In the second sentence, I meant to say "I have been sitting......" Perhaps I should have used "sentado" instead of "sentando"? - ukali, Nov 11, 2015