Ch 12 · Lesson 16Spanish · Chapter 12 · Lesson 16 · Grammar primer
Está cerrada, fue construida: estar and ser with -do and -ndo
plus the gerund for what is happening; plus a participle for the action, for the state it left.
The short version
is an action, a state
.
Why?Hide
English says was for both, Spanish does not. plus a participle is the passive: someone did it, a . plus a participle is the state it is left in: . If you mean it is shut right now, you want .
Estar plus the gerund: actions in progress
Spanish builds its continuous forms with plus the gerund, never . The trigger is describing what is happening, not that it is temporary:
.- I'm eating..- It's raining..- We were talking.
The present progressive page has the gerund forms and when Spanish prefers the plain present.
Ser plus participle vs estar plus participle
English says "was" for both of these, and Spanish does not.
| Pattern | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| : the action | construida 1920. | The house was built in 1920. |
| : the state | terminada. | The house is finished. |
| : the action | . | The door was shut at ten. |
| : the state | . | The door is shut. |
If you mean "it is in a shut state", you want . The passive with ser page covers the full passive, and why everyday Spanish often prefers instead.
Going further: The whole system on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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