Continuous tenses
Examples
Estoy escribiendo (I am writing)
Están durmiendo (They are sleeping)
Estabas hablando (You were talking)
Hemos estado jugando (We have been playing)
Use
To emphasise an action is/was/will be in the middle of taking place
Present continuous
Estoy estudiando español
I am in the middle of studying. At this very moment I'm studying.
Simple present Estudio español At various times during the year I study Spanish
Formation
Estar + gerund/present participle
i.e. correct part of estar + -ando(ar verbs) or -iendo(er/ir verbs)
Present continuous regular -ar verbs
Estoy jugando - I am playing
Estás jugando - You are playing
Está jugando - He/she/it/usted is/are playing
Estamos jugando - We are playing
Estáis jugando - You vosotros are playing
Están jugando - They/ustedes are playing
Present continuous regular -er/-ir verbs
Estoy comiendo - I am eating
Estás comiendo - You are eating
Está comiendo - He/she/it/usted is/are eating
Estamos comiendo - We are eating
Estáis comiendo - You vosotros are eating
Están comiendo - They/ustedes are eating
Irregular verbs
Verbs that add a 'y' in present e.g. construir
Estoy construyendo - I am building
Radical changing verbs e.g. sentir,dormir
Estás sintiendo - You are feeling
Están durmiendo - They are sleeping
ir
Note that yendo is not often used. Use voy - I am going
Other tenses Change estar to the correct tense. The present participle stays the same
Imperfect continuous
Estaba jugando - I was playing
Preterite continuous (Emphasise that action was completed)
Estuve jugando - I was playing
Future continuous
Estaré jugando cuando llegues - I will be playing when you arrive
Conditional continuous
Paula estarķa jugando - Paula should be playing
Present perfect continuous
He estado jugando - I have been playing
Past perfect continuous
Había estado jugando - I had been playing
Practice: Continuous Tenses
¡Dame un café por favor!