Spanish, Present Progressive , Present Perfect, Comparative and Superlative, Irregular Forms

Present Progressive

The progressive tense indicates an action that is ongoing. It is formed by using estar (in any tense) with a present participle. Present participles are formed by dropping the ending of the verb, and adding the following endings to the stem:

Present Participles
-ar	-ando
-er	-iendo
-ir	-iendo

Juan está hablando. Josh is talking.
Estaban cantando. They were singing.
Estuve escribiendo una carta. I was writing a letter.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is a compound tense using haber with a past participle. (Haber is only used as a helping verb; it is never used to show possession.) This tense can be translated as have or has done something. Please note that the preterite tense is used more often than this tense when expressing the past.

Past participles are formed by dropping the infinitive ending, and adding these endings:

**Past Participles**
-ar -er -ir	-ado -ido -ido

The following verbs have irregular past participles: abrir (to open) - abierto (opened); escribir (to write) - escrito (written); morir (to die) - muerto (died); poner (to put) - puesto (put); ver (to see) - visto (seen); volver (to return) - vuelto (returned); decir (to say) - dicho (said); hacer (to do) - hecho (done).

No han vendido la casa. They have not sold the house.
Dónde ha puesto Ud. la llave? Where have you put the key?
Hemos gastado mucho dinero. We have spent a lot of money.
Qué ha dicho Ud.? What did you say?

Comparative and Superlative

Comparisons are expressed as follows:

màs...que
menos...que
tan...como
tanto(a, os, as)...como

more... than
less... than
as... as
as much/many... as

El gato es menos inteligente que el perro. The cat is less intelligent than the dog.
Mi prima tiene más discos que nadie. My cousin has more records than anyone.
No tengo tanto dinero como ustedes. I don't have as much money as you.

Irregular Forms

Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. The most common are:

Adjective/Adverb		Comparative		Superlative
good bad great small well badly much little	bueno malo grande pequeño bien mal mucho poco	better worse greater less better worse more less	mejor peor mayor menor mejor peor más menos	the best the worst the greatest the least best worst most least	el mejor el peor el mayor el menor el mejor el peor el más el menos

Note that the bueno and malo change according to gender and number while grande and pequeño change according to gender. The adverbs (the last four) do not agree with the noun.