Confused about multiple uses of the present tenseHello,
There have been a number of questions in different topic areas along the lines of “Why don’t we use the present progressive tense for such and such an example in Spanish when the English translation is in the present progressive tense?” An example might be “Compro unas playeras” being translated as “I am buying some t-shirts”.
The answer that the instructors give is usually along the lines of, the Spanish present tense can often be translated as the present progressive tense in English.
In addition, I rarely hear the present progressive tense being used from day to day here in Mexico. Google AI agrees with me:
"In Mexican Spanish, the present indicative (voy) is significantly more common for everyday use than the present progressive (estoy yendo). While both can describe actions happening in the moment, the simple present is the "default" choice in most social contexts."
In the kwiz questions I keep answering using the present tense, just out of habit. It's not that I don't know how to use the present progressive tense, it's just that I'm not used to hearing it. This habiit is so strong that sometimes I even miss the instructions.
So maybe the present tense answers shouldn't always be marked wrong, and trigger words such as "en este momento" should be used more often? Also, maybe this idea could be added to the above lesson.
PS You may wonder why I'm studying level A1 if I already speak Spanish daily. It is because I want to strengthen my foundation and in general Kwiziq has been invaluable with this.
Can I add an article from the library to my Notebook?
In the above examples, all of the feminine objects (gafas, pruebas, ausencias) are plural so that the past participle of the action ends with -as. Does this mean that for a single object (chica, casa, etc) the past participle takes on -a?
Example: La casa fue construida por Miguel.
I answered hubiera estado not knowing whether to use the tú form or usted form. Is there a reason using the usted form is incorrect?
Hello,
There have been a number of questions in different topic areas along the lines of “Why don’t we use the present progressive tense for such and such an example in Spanish when the English translation is in the present progressive tense?” An example might be “Compro unas playeras” being translated as “I am buying some t-shirts”.
The answer that the instructors give is usually along the lines of, the Spanish present tense can often be translated as the present progressive tense in English.
In addition, I rarely hear the present progressive tense being used from day to day here in Mexico. Google AI agrees with me:
"In Mexican Spanish, the present indicative (voy) is significantly more common for everyday use than the present progressive (estoy yendo). While both can describe actions happening in the moment, the simple present is the "default" choice in most social contexts."
In the kwiz questions I keep answering using the present tense, just out of habit. It's not that I don't know how to use the present progressive tense, it's just that I'm not used to hearing it. This habiit is so strong that sometimes I even miss the instructions.
So maybe the present tense answers shouldn't always be marked wrong, and trigger words such as "en este momento" should be used more often? Also, maybe this idea could be added to the above lesson.
PS You may wonder why I'm studying level A1 if I already speak Spanish daily. It is because I want to strengthen my foundation and in general Kwiziq has been invaluable with this.
I'm confused about the conjugation of sorprenderse in the present indicative. Is it in the same class as gustar? Just a singular and plural form with indirect object pronouns? OR is it a reflexive verb? I've looked in several of my Spanish grammar books from Spain - but I can't find anything. The textbook I teach from doesn't have any answers either. Thank you.
I notice that you consider as correct all answers that are theoretically correct from a grammatical perspective, even if they are not idiomatic and it is highly unlikely that a Spanish speaker would use the expression. Example: “No deberías nunca salir con ella.” Or am I missing something?
Hello! This article is great, and I want to play it for my students, but the Play button isn't working for me. I am signed in when I try. Is there something I am missing?
Thanks!
Why aren’t there any -ger examples, only -gir? Are they conjugated the same?
I have an issue with translating ¡Marchando! as "Coming up!" To me, this English phrase would not be spoken by wait staff to get the kitchen staff or bartender to start working on an order. "Coming up!" is something that a preparer would say to the wait staff, or to a guest, to let them know that they are starting to fulfill a request.
Maybe a better translation would be "Get a move on!"
Thank you Silvia - well researched and well explained ... and clearly spoken, which is of course essential to grasping a complex topic... Un abrazo - David Mc
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