Social Media: Grammar (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Note

Social media: grammar

The specific grammar point for this topic is the present continuous (estar + present participle).

Present continuous

The present continuous is used to describe an action happening right now or an action currently in progress. It is formed using the correct present tense form of the verb estar (to be) + the gerund (present participle ending in -ando or -iendo).

• Estar is irregular in the present tense (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están).

Formation of the present participle

To form the present participle, you must remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the correct ending for the verb group.

Important spelling changes:

• Vowel stems: If the verb stem ends in a vowel, such as leer (to read) or construir (to build), the ending changes to -yendo (e.g., leyendo, construyendo).

• Stem-changing verbs (Higher Tier): Some -ir verbs undergo a vowel shift in the participle. For example, morir becomes muriendo (o → u) and pedir or advertir become pidiendo and advirtiendo (e → i).

Contextual grammar examples:

• En este momento, estoy chateando con mi mejor amigo (At this moment, I am chatting with my best friend)

• Mi padre está leyendo una noticia online (My father is reading a news story online)

• Mis amigos están subiendo fotos a su instagram (My friends are uploading photos to their instagram)