El Gerundio

Una lección fácil-finalmente

¿Qué estás haciendo en este momento?
¿Qué estabas haciendo ayer a la misma hora?
¿Qué estarás haciendo mañana a la misma hora?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere else.
¿Qué estás haciendo?


Formación Stem changing verbs
"Y" verbs Object Pronouns & the gerundio
Uses Observaciones
"By ...ing" Poesía
How long? Progressive tenses

Keep notes in your notebook. Do "ciudad/zoo" activity and "Para practicar" on separate paper to be turned in.

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Formación
The present participle- gerundio- (="ing" in English) is easy to work with and only has a few idiosyncrasies. First let's look at how it is formed.


Rule #1: Work from the infinitive and the gerundio form NEVER changes- for anything. Ever. Honest. There will be no more rules.

AR verbs- Drop AR and add ANDO. hablar> hablando, trabajar> trabajando
ER & IR verbs- Drop ER/IR and add IENDO: comer> comiendo, escribir>escribiendo, etc.

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Are there any "weird" or irregular verbs? Of course, but they are all logical, so it should be easy to remember the changes.

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Stem Changing Verbs
Only IR verbs change, and the change is either E>I or O>U. AR & ER verbs don't have a stem change in the gerundio. Let's look at some examples:

seguir (e>i): siguiendo
dormir (o>ue): durmiendo
mentir (e>ie): mintiendo
contar (o>ue): contando
perder (e>ie): perdiendo

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"Y" verbs
When you have a verb ending in a vowel +ER/IR, change the I in IENDO to Y. It looks better and sounds better. You've done this before. Do you remember the tense? Look at the examples:

leer>leyendo
caer>cayendo
huir>huyendo
Impress me. Why didn't "seguir" change? (In previous section) It fits the rule, doesn't it?...Or does it?????

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Two other things:
IR changes to yendo. "IENDO" doesn't look like a word.
PODER > pudiendo. It sounds better than "podiendo".



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¡Vamos a practicar un poco! En tu libreta escribe el gerundio para los verbos siguientes.

firmar
correr
creer
abrir
morir
pensar
decir
buscar
pedir
tener
venir
atraer
reír
ir
ser
construir

Go check your answers (Click «BACK» to return to this spot)
How did you do? That's it. You now know how to form the gerundio.



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Object Pronouns and the gerundio
Is there anything else you need to know about the gerundio in terms of its formation? Of course. Why else would I ask? Where would you put an object pronoun if you have a gerundio? Good question. There are three times when you can attach an object pronoun (direct, indirect or reflexive, or even double) on the end of a verb- if the verb is in the infinitive form (...para despertarme), if it's an affirmative command (¡Despiértate!), or if it's a gerundio (Estoy despertándome). Regardless of the verb, if you add a pronoun on the end of a gerundio, you must write an accent on the A or E before the N. It should be noted that the pronoun can also preceed the main verb (usually estar, as you will shortly see).
Try to do these. Do the same as you did above, but put the stated pronoun on the end. If you don't practice it, you won't be able to do it.


lavarme
levantarnos
pedirlo
comprarlas
leerla
quejarte

Check your answers
How did you do?



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Uses
So what is it used for? First of all, it's always used as an action- never as a noun. (This is ironic, because by definition, that is what the gerund is in English.) Do you remember, (and I hope you do) what form of the verb is always used as a noun? It's also never used after a preposition. What do you use after a preposition?

So we know what it is not. Let's look at what it is.



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Observaciones
We saw that the infinitive can be used to show that you observed someone do something. Vimos al hombre robar el banco. We saw the man rob the bank. Oímos a la mujer cantar en el concierto. We heard the woman sing in the concert. The use of the infinitive in these expressions signifies that you saw the entire action. If we were to use the gerundio in the same sentences...Wait! Let's just do it and see what happens!

Vimos al hombre robando el banco. > We saw the man (while he was) robbing the bank.
Oímos a la mujer cantando en el concierto. > We heard the woman (while she was) singing in the concert.
Do you see and understand the difference? In these sentences the entire action was not seen or heard, just part of it AS IT WAS IN PROGRESS.
Actividad: Go on an adventure and make observations of what you see and hear people doing (not what they did). Make a list of 3 "Vi" and 3 "Oí" oraciones.



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By ...ing
The gerund can also stand by itself to mean "By .......ing" or "While ( if, when, because one....) + verb". Huh? Look at the following examples. They're the best way to understand this.


Estudiando, sacarás notas mejores. By studying (If, When, Because you study), you will get better grades.
Viajando en los países de habla española, aprenderán a hablar bien el español. By (While) traveling in Spanish speaking countries, they will learn to speak Spanish well.
Te sentirás mejor dejando de fumar cigarillos. You'll feel better by stopping smoking.
Actividades:
Think of things you can do that by doing so, something in your life will change. Make a set of 5 frases like those in the examples. Gerundio clause, + future tense clause.
Make a sign for the classroom- academic or behavioral advice.> By............ing,.............something will happen. Choose a verb to work with and clear it through your teacher so that there are not any repeats.

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Poesía
Another very common use of the gerund is poetic. It goes along with the observation use. Close your eyes and picture yourself in some really special lugar, estación o tiempo. Imagine actions that you see, hear, smell, taste and/or feel happening. Make a poem using the gerundio to express this.

Pájaros cantando
Niños jugando con alegría en la arena
Palmeras bailando en las brisas
Make your list of 10 such frases. Add adjectives and/or prepositional phrases. Call it your "Oda a .......(whatever your lugar especial es)."

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How long?
The gerundio is used after the verb PASAR and a period of time to express the time duration of an action. Look at these examples:

Pasé dos horas estudiando. I spent two hours studying.
Ellos pasaron media hora arreglándose para la fiesta. They spent a half hour getting ready for the party.
How is this different from the "hace + time period + que + action in the present" construction I know you remember? Compare and answer the question on your own.

Hace tres años que toco el piano. I've been playing the piano for three years.
Hace seis meses que sigo esta clase. I've been taking this class for six months.
Do you see a difference? The "Pasar + gerundio" sentences are talking about "uninterrupted" actions- how long you have been working at a specific activity. The "Hace" sentences deal with general activities you do- not specific uninterrupted activities.
A real structure activity! Put the information together to form complete sentences saying how much time people spent doing something. Use the verb "PASAR" in the preterite.

ejemplo: Yo/hablar con mis padres/ 1 hora >Pasé una hora hablando con mis padres.

Yo/ducharse/15 minutos
Ellos/estudiar/2 horas
Tú/escribir el informe/3 semanas
El profesor/leer los proyectos/ 4 noches
Mi amigo y yo/ reírse por teléfono/ media hora
Check your answers.


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The Progressive Tenses
As part of a compound verb structure, it is the equivalent of the English "...ing". The "to be" verb used with this is ALWAYS estar. Estar + gerundio = to be + "ing". This is called the progressive tense- it can be past, present, future, whatever. It signifies that at that time something is (was, will be, etc.) happening. It's what is going on at the moment.

Los chicos están jugando. The boys are playing
Ellos estaban comiendo. They were eating.
Mañana estaremos viajando por la ciudad. Tomorrow we will be traveling around the city.
Estuve leyendo hasta que ellos llegaron. I was reading until they arrived.
Nota importante: It cannot be used to express anything other than what is happening at the stated time. For example: In English we might say, "I am leaving tommorow." In Spanish this would be expressed by the simple present (Mañana me voy/salgo.), or the "ir a " construction- (Mañana voy a salir.). You may not use the present progressive for this.

Actividades:

Haz una excursión por la ciudad o por el parque zoológico.
Una actividad reflexiva. Answer the following questions using the present progressive tense. Be logical. Tell what people are doing with the item mentioned.
Ejemplo: ¿Por qué tienes el jabón?> Estoy lavándome las manos.

¿Por qué tiene Juana el espejo?
¿Por qué tienen Uds. la pasta dentrífica?
¿Por qué tienes la hoja de afeitar?
¿Por qué tienen los chicos el rimel?
¿Por qué tengo yo el cepillo?
Otra actividad con pronombres objetivos. Imagine you have the items in the following questions. The questioner asks what you are doing to the item, but respond using the appropriate object pronoun- (lo, la, los, las). Attach it to the end of the gerundio, and remember to add an accent on the vowel before the "n". Don't repeat any verbs. Try to be creative.
ejemplo: ¿Qué haces con la carta? > Estoy enviándola a mi amiga en Venezuela.


¿Qué haces con el helado?
¿Qué haces con el periódico?
¿Qué haces con la revista?
¿Qué haces con las fresas?
¿Qué haces con la cerveza?
¿Qué haces con los pantalones?

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The gerundio is also used frequently after some other verbs. Each has its own significance, so follow along.
It is used after the verbs seguir and continuar to mean "to keep on (continue, still be) doing something".


Seguiré (Continuaré) estudiando español. I will keep on studying Spanish.
Ellos continuaron hablando. They kept on talking.
Sigan buscando el mapa. Keep looking for the map.
After the verb ir, the gerundio is used to express that something is going on sloooooowly or gradually.
Los novios van andando por la playa. The couple goes walking slowly along the beach.
Los estudiantes van aprendiendo la lengua. The students are gradually learning the language.
The gerundio can be used after any verb of motion to signify that something was happening when the "motion" action took place.
Ellos entraron gritando. They entered yelling.
Los alumnos vienen a clase temblando. The students come to class trembling.
Salió llorando. He left crying.
Se cayó riéndose. He fell down laughing.
Got it?

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Para practicar
Just for fun, ...or practice, ...or because you have to, complete the following sentences with a gerundio lógico and whatever else will complete the sentence creatively. Don't repeat any verbs, por favor. Escoge 10.


La orquesta estaba....................................y nosotros estábamos....................................
Los estudiantes siguen..........................y el profesor va a..........................................
Voy a pasar el fin de semana........................con...................
Siempre me divierto..........................en...........................
El otro día, entré en mi casa................................................porque..............................
Cuando era niño (a), venía la escuela..............................porque.........................
Cuando lo vimos, el profesor estaba...........................................y.................................porque...................
Yo seguiré....................................................porque.........................................
Yo no seguiré..................................................porque............................................
Mis padres estaban.........................................cuando............................................
Yo voy...................................y................................................
Mañana estaremos....................................................en..................................
Nunca me divierto...............................................porque.................................
Ayer salí de la escuela......................................porque........................................

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Go do a Spanish On Line Lesson. Take the test and send the results to me.

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Respuestas- forms of gerunds
firmando, corriendo, creyendo, abriendo, muriendo, pensando, diciendo, buscando, pidiendo, teniendo, viniendo, atrayendo, riendo, yendo, siendo, construyendo



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Respuestas- gerundios con pronombres objetivos
lavándome, levantándonos, pidiéndolo, comprándolas, leyéndola, quejándote



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Respuestas- How long? pasar + gerundio
Pasé quince minutos duchándome.
Ellos pasaron dos horas estudiando.
Pasaste tres semanas escribiendo el informe.
El profesor pasó cuatro noches leyendo los proyectos.
Mi amigo y yo pasamos media hora riéndonos por teléfono.



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