Advanced, Task 01

Simplified and native speakers:

• Simplified example
• Deyisbeth H.
• Clarena L.
• Medardo C.
• Luis A.

Click red links to download .m4v files for use in iPod:

• Simplified example
• Deyisbeth H.
• Clarena L.
• Medardo C.
• Luis A.

Subscribe to podcast: adv01

Key vocabulary for this task

Example phrases for this task

Grammar points for this task



		Simplified Example "En estos momentos estoy trabajando como maestro de inglés..."



		Deyisbeth H. Venezuela, Caracas "Bueno, en estos momentos estoy trabajando como directora..."

		Clarena L. Colombia, Armenia "El último trabajo que tuve fue maestra de inglés..."

		Medardo C. República Dominicana, Santo Domingo "Bueno, antes de venir a Austin, yo trabajé como editor..."

		Luis A. Costa Rica, San José "En este momento yo trabajo en UT..."

a tiempo parcial/medio tiempo (adv)		part time
abogado (m)		lawyer
banquero (m)		banker
beneficios (m)		benefits
científico (m)		scientist
colega (m)		colleague
compañero (m) de trabajo		co-worker
curriculum (m)/currículo (m)		résumé
de tiempo completo (adv)		full time
dedicarse a una profesión		to practice a profession
empleado (m)		employee
entrenamiento (m)/adiestramiento (m)		training

entrevista (f)		interview
ganar		to earn
ingeniero (m)		engineer
jefe (m)		boss, employer
maestro (m)		teacher
oficio (m)		trade
profesión (f)		profession
solicitar		to apply (for a job)
sueldo (m)		salary
trabajo (m)		job
turno (m)		work shift

Trabajo de tiempo parcial en un mercado.	I work part time in a market.
Mi jefe me supervisa por las tardes.	My boss supervises me in the the afternoons.
Gano relativamente poco pero me llevo muy bien con mis compañeros de trabajo.	I earn relatively little but I get along well with my work mates.
Trabajé por un año en una escuela secundaria.	I worked at a high school for one year.
Nos pagaban el primero del mes.	They would pay us the first day of the month.
Siempre he querido ser maestro de primaria.	I have always wanted to be an elementary school teacher.
Dejé mi curriculum con muchas compañías ayer.	I left my résumé at many companies yesterday.
Mi hermano Juan está solicitando para ser abogado.	My brother Juan is applying for jobs as a lawyer.
¿A qué se dedica Ud.?	What do you do?
Ya que trabajo de tiempo completo me dan beneficios.	Since I work full time I get benefits.

Present Progressive Tense

The present progressive tense is formed with the auxiliary verb estar plus a main verb in its present participle form (e.g. estoy escribiendo). The present participle is formed with the stem of the verb plus -ando (for -ar verbs) or -iendo (for -er and -ir verbs). For example:

cantar cantando

hablar hablando

comer comiendo

beber bebiendo

ocurrir ocurriendo

vivir viviendo

In the case of -ir stem changing verbs the stem vowel changes. For example:

preferir prefiriendo

pedir pidiendo

venir viniendo

Verbs with stems that end in a vowel also have an irregular form:

caer cayendo

oír oyendo

traer trayendo

The verb estar must be conjugated to match the subject pronoun. For example:

Yo estoy comiendo. I am eating.

Tú estás cantando. You are singing.

Él está hablando. He is speaking.

Ella está bebiendo. She is drinking.

Nosotros estamos hablando. We are speaking.

Ellos están estudiando. They are studying.

Present Progressive vs. Simple Present

Just like English, Spanish uses the present progressive tense to describe actions that are occurring while one is speaking (e.g. John is writing a letter). Also similar to English, the present tense is used to describe actions that one does repeatedly or habitually (e.g. John writes a letter every morning). One difference between the two languages, however, is that in Spanish the present tense can also be used to describe progressive actions. For example:

¿Qué haces? / ¿Qué estás haciendo? What are you doing?

¿Qué escuchas/ ¿Qué estás escuchando? What are you listening to?