The present progressive is formed in Spanish by using a conjugated form of the verb estar and a present participle. The present participles are formed for verbs ending in -ar by adding -ando to the stem; for verbs ending in -er or -ir, add -iendo to the stem: hablando, bailando, trabajando, comiendo, viviendo, diciendo, etc. When an unstressed -i- occurs between two vowels, it becomes a -y-: leer > leyendo; creer > creyendo, etc.

Study these examples: Roberto está trabajando; Thomas está comiendo; Ellos están hablando; Nosotros estamos preguntando; Tú estás viviendo en un hotel... etc. You will occasionally find this structure used in the dialogues and settings, but you should keep in mind that the present progressive is not as common in Spanish as it is in English. The simple present tense (trabajo, estudio, etc) is used more frequently to indicate actions in progress.

Examples of Present Progressive

• A algunos. Y ¿quién es la mujer que está bailando con Roberto?