poner a / dejar de / seguir + gerund
start, stop, keep doing
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start, stop, keep doing
ponerse a + infinitive: started to. dejar de + infinitive: stopped. seguir / continuar + gerund: keep doing. No dejar de is not the same as dejar de.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Starting an action suddenly
Use 'ponerse a' plus infinitive.
Se puso a llover de repente.
It started raining all of a sudden.
Stopping an action
Use 'dejar de' plus infinitive.
Dejó de llover y salió el sol.
It stopped raining and the sun came out.
Continuing an action
Use 'seguir' plus gerund (-ando/-iendo).
Sigue lloviendo desde esta mañana.
It has been raining since this morning.
Common mix-ups
You must use the gerund (-ando/-iendo) with 'seguir' and 'continuar', not the infinitive.
It is still raining in Madrid.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in Spanish before opening the example.
We are still waiting. Use seguir.
Show one possible answer
Seguimos esperando.
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
Keep practicing
Related grammar
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