Imperfect Progressive and PreteriteEspañol 2Capítulo 9

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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 lastimé la rodilla.

I was skiing when I fell and hurt 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

divertir

divirtiendo

seguir

siguiendo

servir

sirviendo

vestir

vistiendo

O > U

Dormir

Durmiendo

Morir

Muriendo

I > YFor the following -er verbs, the I of -iendo

changes to y:

Creer Creyendo Leer Leyendo

traer Trayendo Ir Yendo

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 occurence in the past or interrupts the action.

Imperfect Progressive and Preterite

Ella estaba corriendo cuando se lastimó el tobillo.

The imperfect is the ing whereas the preterite interrupted the ongoing action.