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Present Participle

By Gerald Erichsen, About.com

Definition: The participle which in English is typically formed by adding "-ing" to verbs and can be used as an adjective or with "to be" to form the progressive (or continuous) tenses.

Spanish has two types of present participles: verbal present participles, which are used with forms of estar to form the progressive tenses, and adjectival present participles, which are used as adjectives. The verbal present participles end in -ando or -endo, while the adjectival present participles end in -ante or -ente.

In English, present participles can be formed from nearly any verb. The same is true for the verbal present participles in Spanish, although adjectival participles either don't exist or are rarely used for most verbs.

In both languages, the present participle suggests that the quality described is or was in progress rather than completed. Note the difference, for example, between a "changed man" (hombre cambiado) and a "changing man" (hombre cambiante), as well as between "I was eating" (estaba comiendo) and "I had eaten" (he comido).

Also Known As: The adjectival present participle is known as the participio activo or participio de presente in Spanish. The verbal present participle is the gerundio.
Examples: Boldfaced words are present participles: I am studying. (Estoy estudiando.) I know the incoming president. (Conozco al presidente entrante.)

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