Continuous tenses
Reminder: the present continuous tense is used to describe something that is ongoing at the time the speaker is speaking.
Luca e Maria stanno cantando.
Luca and Maria are singing.
Sto impastando la pizza.
I'm making dough for pizza.
We can make continuous forms of other tenses, too:
- Use the imperfect of stare (to be) stare, imperfetto + gerundio (“-ing” form equivalent) to talk about actions that were ongoing in the past.
Due giorni fa stavo scrivendo una canzone.
Two days ago I was writing a song.
- Use the future tense of stare (to be) stare, futuro + gerundio to talk about ongoing actions that will take place in the future.
Tra pochi giorni starò sciando in montagna.
In a few days I'll be skiing in the mountains.
- Use the conditional of stare (to be) stare, condizionale presente + gerundio to talk about actions which “would be happening” at the time in question.
Se non fossi venuto al ristorante, starei studiando per l'esame di domani.
If I hadn't come to this restaurant, I would be studying for the tomorrow's exam.
- Use the present subjunctive of stare (to be) stare, congiuntivo presente + gerundio after verbs of opinion (credere “to believe”, pensare “to think”, etc), desire or feeling which are in the present tense.
Credo stia facendo sport.
I think he is doing sport.
- Use the imperfect subjunctive of stare (to be) stare, congiuntivo imperfetto + gerundio after verbs of opinion (credere “to believe”, pensare “to think”, etc), desire or feeling which are in the imperfect tense.
Pensavo stessimo andando a fare shopping.
I thought that we were going shopping.
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