🎯 Why This Matters
To describe actions happening right now and temporary situations.
Clear expression of ongoing actions.
🇪🇸 The Challenge
Overuse and formation. Spanish speakers either avoid the continuous or use it where Present Simple is needed. Also, the BE + -ING formation differs from Spanish estar + gerundio.
🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷 Present Simple confusion
Problem: Spanish uses Present for many situations where English needs Continuous
Watch out: Saying 'I work' when you mean 'I'm working (right now)'
✅ Fix: For RIGHT NOW actions, always use am/is/are + -ing
🧠 Mental Note: Ask: Is it happening right at this moment? Yes = Continuous
🇪🇸 Estar + gerundio parallel
Advantage: Spanish 'estar + -ando/-endo' is similar to 'be + -ing'
Watch out: But Spanish uses it less frequently than English
✅ Fix: English uses Continuous more than Spanish. When in doubt, use it for NOW.
🧠 Visual Explanation (The Mental Fix)
The Snapshot Moment
If you can take a photo of it happening RIGHT NOW, use Present Continuous.
🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
How Spanish speakers should pronounce this structure:
-ING ending
Spanish Habit: Pronouncing the G strongly
English Reality: The G in -ING is soft, almost like /n/
Examples:
- working → /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/ (not 'workinG')
- eating → /ˈiːtɪŋ/
- going → /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/ or casual /ˈɡoʊɪn/
Practice: The -ING should sound like a soft 'een' or 'in', not a hard 'ing'
📖 How It Works
Teacher Recommendation: Self-study friendly
Time Investment: 4 hours
🔑 Signal Words (Memory Anchors)
These words/phrases appear with this structure:
| English | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| right now | ahora mismo | I'm working right now / Estoy trabajando ahora mismo |
| at the moment | en este momento | She's sleeping at the moment |
| currently | actualmente | I'm currently living in Madrid |
| today/this week | hoy/esta semana | I'm not working this week |
| tonight/tomorrow | esta noche/mañana | We're meeting tomorrow (future plan) |
💬 Real Examples
Let's see this structure in action with correct vs incorrect usage:
Example 1: Action happening now
✅ CORRECT: "I'm working from home today."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Estoy trabajando desde casa hoy."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I work from home today. (sounds permanent)"
Why wrong? For 'today' (temporary), use Present Continuous. Present Simple would imply habit.
Example 2: Future arrangement
✅ CORRECT: "I'm having dinner with John tonight."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Voy a cenar con John esta noche."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I have dinner with John tonight. (sounds like routine)"
Why wrong? For fixed future plans, Present Continuous is natural
Example 3: No continuous with stative verbs
✅ CORRECT: "I love this song."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Me encanta esta canción."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I'm loving this song."
Why wrong? LOVE is a stative verb - no continuous form normally
✏️ Practice Exercises
Ready to test your understanding? Let's practice!
🚀 What to Study Next
More in "Verb Tenses"
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