Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Español Intermedio

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Do you remember the present progressive? It’s used when a person wants to say that an action is happening “right now.”

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite It uses the present tense of estar + the present participle. No puedo ir al cine. Estoy estudiando para el examen.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite To describe something that was taking place over a period of time in the past, use the imperfect progressive, which uses the imperfect tense of estar + the present participle.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Estaba esquiando cuando me caí y me torcí la rodilla. I was skiing when I fell and sprained my knee.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite The present and imperfect progressive tenses use the same irregular present participles.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Remember, to form the present participle of -ir stem-changing verbs, e changes to i and o changes to u:

E > I decir? diciendo pedir? pidiendo repetir? repitiendo seguir? siguiendo servir? sirviendo vestir? vistiendo

O > U dormir? durmiendo

I > Y For the following -er verbs, the I of -iendo changes to y: creer? creyendo leer? leyendo traer? trayendo

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite When you use pronouns with the imperfect progressive, you can put them before estar or attach them to the participle.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite ¿Qué estaba haciendo cuando te cortaste? Estaba afeitándome. Or Me estaba afeitando.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Note that the imperfect progressive describes what was taking place while the preterite tells a specific occurance in the past or interrupts the action.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite Ella estaba corriendo cuando se lastimó el tobillo.