Gerund verb phrases indicate that it is an ongoing action, an uninterrupted process or an interrumpted action that has been performed repeatedly. Let’s check out some of them!

1. Andar + gerund – Express a persistant and durative activity.

Andan diciendo que se va a acabar el mundo. [People are saying the world is coming to an end.]
Anda escribiendo en las paredes. [He’s been writing on the walls.]

2. Acabar + gerund – Expresses the end of a process

Acabé perdiendo toda mi fortuna. [I ended up losing all my fortune.]
Siempre acaba peleándose con todo el mundo. [He always ends up fighting with everybody.]

3. Estar + gerund – It’s used like the Present Continuous tense in English.

Estamos trabajando. [We are working.]
Siempre estás haciendo lo mismo. [You’re always doing the same.]

4. Ir + gerund – It shows an action that is happening little by little

Nos vamos haciendo viejos. [We are getting older – each day.]
Voy pagando el pizo a plazos. [I am paying my apartment in installments.]

5. Llevar + gerund – It is used to show how long something has been happening (idea of time)

Llevo viviendo en Barcelona más de dos años. [I have been living in Barcelona for more than two years.]
¿Cuántos meses llevas estudiando en esta Escuela? [How long have you been studying in this school?]

6. Quedarse + gerund – Indicates that an action is permanent and ongoing

Se quedó durmiendo hasta las tres de la tarde. [He kept on sleeping till three in the afternoon.]
Cuando me marché, aún se quedaron viendo la televisión. [When I left they were still watching TV.]

7. Salir + gerund – Indicates the final result of an action. This perífrasis is usually seen with verbs like perder (to lose) and ganar (to win). It also indicates the abrupt beginning of a movement.

Salió ganando en la apuesta. [He was the winner of the bet.]
Salí corriendo an enterarme de su llegada. [I dashed off when I heard he had arrived.]

8. Seguir + gerund – To keep on doing something

Aún sigue emborrachándose. [He still keeps on getting drunk.]
Seguimos pensando lo mismo que antes. [We still think the same as we did before.]

9. Venir + gerund – Indicates insistence and repetition of an action that is being performed at the present time

Viene diciendo que no se había enterado de la reunión. [He’s been saying that he didn’t know about the meeting.]
La experiencia nos lo viene demostrando. [Experience has been showing it to us.]

Por hoy es todo. Felices Páscuas a todos ustedes.

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