The present progressive
To say what is happening right now, you use the present progressive. It is formed like this: Subject + form of estar + present participle + rest
estar- to be estoy estás está estamos están
The present participle The present participle ends in ing in English. To form the present participle you: take off the ar and add ando take off the er or ir and add iendo
ejemplos hablar → hablando → speaking comer → comiendo → eating escribir → escribiendo → writing
Irregular participles dormir → durmiendo → sleeping leer → leyendo → reading decir → diciendo → saying/telling
Stem-changing verbs -ar and –er verbs do not change -ir verbs do servir → sirviendo → serving pedir → pidiendo → ordering
Ejemplos Yo estoy estudiando. I am studying. ¿Qué estás haciendo? What are you doing?
más María está decorando el patio. Maria is decorating the patio. Nosotros estamos leyendo. We are reading.
más Ellos están durmiendo. They are sleeping. This tense is not used as often in Spanish as it is in English. In Spanish, the present tense is used more.