Spelling-changing Verbs in Spanish Past Progressive Tense

Spelling-changing verbs, a unique category in Spanish, require specific consonant adjustments when forming the gerund in the past progressive tense. These alterations ensure accurate pronunciation and maintain the verb’s original sound.

Understanding the Spelling Changes

The most frequent spelling changes arise in -er and -ir verbs where the last vowel of the stem is stressed. Here’s a breakdown of the common modifications:

• -er and -ir verbs ending in a vowel:
  • Change the stem vowel ‘e’ to ‘i’ before adding ‘-iendo.’
  • Example: Leer (to read) → Leyendo (reading)

Constructing the Past Progressive Tense

Once you’ve correctly formed the gerund, combine it with the imperfect tense of the verb “estar” (to be) to form the past progressive tense:

Example:

• “Yo estaba creyendo en ti.” (I was believing in you.)

Synonyms

• English: Orthographic-Changing Past Progressive Verbs
• Spanish: Verbos con Cambios Ortográficos en Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo