Portuguese 3.4. Present Progressive Tense

Level I 1. Alphabet & Pronunciation 1.1. Vowels 2. Similarities to English 2.1. Capitalization 2.2. Negation 2.3. Punctuation & Written Accents 3. Gender & Plural 4. Cardinal Numbers 5. Subject Personal Pronouns 6. Present Indicative Tense I 7. The Articles 8. Interrogative Pronouns & Adjectives 9. Basic Phrases Level II 1. Prepositions 2. Present Indicative Tense II – Irregular Verbs 3. The Verb “To Be”: “Ser” vs. “Estar” 4. Future Tense 5. Possessive Adjectives & Pronouns 6. Demonstrative Adjectives & Pronouns 7. Object Personal Pronouns 8. Relative Pronouns 9. Ordinal Numbers I 10. Times & Seasons Level III 1. “Por” vs. “Para” 2. The Verb “To Know”: “Saber” vs. “Conhecer” 3. Indefinite Adjectives & Pronouns 4. Present Progressive Tense 5. Present Perfect Tense 6. Special Uses of “Haver” & “Ter” 7. Telling Time & Describing Weather 8. Adverbs 9. Directions Level IV 1. Degrees of Comparison: Comparatives & Superlatives 2. Past Tense: Preterite vs. Imperfect 3. Conjunctions 4. Reflexive Pronouns & Verbs 5. Time Expressions: Ainda, Já, Acabar, and Desde 6. Present Subjunctive Tense 7. Future Perfect Tense Level V 1. Imperative Mood & Giving Commands 2. Simple Conditional Tense 3. Future Subjunctive Tense 4. Perfect Subjunctive Tense 5. Imperfect Subjunctive Tense 6. Past & Conditional Progressive Tenses 7. Interjections Level VI 1. Ordinal Numbers II 2. “Would/Should/Could Have …” 3. Pluperfect Indicative Tense 4. Pluperfect Subjunctive Tense 5.”Although” & “Despite” 6. Passive Voice & Impersonal “Se” 7. Diminutives & Augmentatives
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The present progressive tense, similar to its use in English, describes an event that continues to take place in the present, e.g., “Eu estou falando” (I am speaking). It is formed by adding the auxiliary verb “estar” to the present participle, also known as the gerund.

The gerund is formed by attaching “-ando” to the stem of “-ar” ending verbs, “-endo” to the stem of “-er” ending verbs, and “-indo” to the stem of “-ir” ending verbs.

“-ar” verbssubject pronoun + “estar” in present tense + (verb stem+ ando)
“-er” verbssubject pronoun + “estar” in present tense + (verb stem+ endo)
“-ir” verbssubject pronoun + “estar” in present tense + (verb stem+ indo)

The table below summarizes the conjugation rules of the three verb groups in the present progressive tense:

  -ar ending
e.g., falar
-er ending
e.g., comer
-ir ending
e.g., partir
euestoufalandocomendopartindo
ele/ela/vocêestá
nósestamos
eles/elas/vocêsestão

Examples

Here are some more examples in context:

Eu estou comendo agora.I am eating now.
Você está tomando café.You are drinking coffee.
Ela está falando com a mãe.She is speaking to her mother.
Nós estamos dormindo.We are sleeping.
Eles estão nadando aqui.They are swimming here.

Next: Present Perfect Tense

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