Regular -er Verbs in Spanish Past Progressive Tense

Regular -ER verbs, another significant group in Spanish, follow a predictable pattern in the past progressive tense.

Forming the Gerund of Regular -ER Verbs

Creating the gerund is simple: remove the “-er” ending from the infinitive and add “-iendo.”

  • Example: Correr (to run) → Corriendo (running)
  • Example: Aprender (to learn) → Aprendiendo (learning)
  • Example: Beber (to drink) → Bebiendo (drinking)

Constructing the Past Progressive Tense

Combine the gerund with the imperfect tense of the verb “estar” (to be) to build the past progressive tense:

PronounEstar (Imperfect)Gerund (Example: Comer)Past Progressive
Yoestabacomiendoestaba comiendo
estabascomiendoestabas comiendo
Él/Ella/Ustedestabacomiendoestaba comiendo
Nosotros/Nosotrasestábamoscomiendoestábamos comiendo
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedesestabancomiendoestaban comiendo

Examples:

  • “Yo estaba bebiendo agua.” (I was drinking water.)
  • “Ella estaba leyendo un libro.” (She was reading a book.)
  • “Ellos estaban comiendo en el restaurante.” (They were eating at the restaurant.)

Synonyms

  • English: Regular -ER Past Progressive Verbs
  • Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -ER en Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo

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