To indicate the progressive or durative in Quechua we use the suffix –sha which is placed immediately after the verbal root. For example, the word puriy, to walk, the verbal root is puri. To say that I am walking (a progressive action) I should add the suffix –sha to the verbal root and then mark that the verb is first person singular –ni. Because of this, the word becomes purishani which means 'I am walking'.

The progressive allows us to express the idea of an event that is in progress. This progress can be in the present tense, past tense, or future tense. That is, the action has not concluded, is in the process of execution, for this we use the progressive aspect.

In order to review that we have learned, let's look at how we can use the progressive in the three verbal tenses with each of the personal pronouns.

Let's begin with the present tense by conjugating the verb puriy, 'to walk'. For this, we follow the rule of adding verbal suffixes to the verbal root. First, to the root puri we add –sha. Second, we add the verbal marker for the person that does the action. For example, for the first person we can follow this process: puri-sha-ni, which means 'I am walking'.

Now let's look at this conjugation of this verb with different personal pronouns in the present tense:

Ñuqa Purishani	I am walking
Qan Purishanki	You are walking
Pay Purishan	He/she/it is walking
Ñuqayku Purishayku	We are walking (exclusive)
Ñuqanchis Purishanchis	We are walking (inclusive)
Qankuna Purishankichis	You all are walking
Paykuna Purishanku	They are walking

Now let's look at the simple or experienced past conjugating the verb mikuy, 'to eat'. For this, we follow the rule of adding the suffixes to the verbal root. First , to the root miku we add –sha. Second, we add the experienced past marker –rqa. Finally we add the verbal marker of the person that is doing the action. For example, for the first person we can follow this process: miku-sha-rqa-ni, which means 'I was eating'.

Now we will look at the conjugation of this verb with different personal pronouns in the experienced past:

Ñuqa mikusharqani	I was eating
Qan mikusharqanki	You were eating
Pay mikusharqan	He/she/it was eating
Ñuqayku mikusharqayku	We were eating (exclusive)
Ñuqanchis mikusharqanchis	We were eating (inclusive)
Qankuna mikusharqankichis	You all were eating
Paykuna Purisharqanku	They were eating

Now we will conjugate the verb waykuy, 'to cook' in the future tense, that is, something that has not happened. For this, we will follow the rule of adding the suffixes to the verbal roots. First, to the root wayku we add –sha. Second, we will add the future tense marker according to each personal pronoun. For example, for the first person we can do this process: wayku-sha-saq, which means 'I will be cooking'.

Ñuqa waykushasaq	I will be cooking
Qan waykushanki	You will be cooking
Pay waykushanqa	He/she/it will be cooking
Ñuqayku waykushasaqku	We will be cooking (exclusive)
Ñuqanchis waykushasunchis	We will be cooking (inclusive)
Qankuna waykushankichis	You all will be cooking
Paykuna waykushanqaku	They will be cooking

So, the progressive is a suffix that we add to the verbal root to express an action that is in progress, that is, not finished.

Now let's look at different examples of the uses of the progressive in different verbal tenses.

Let's look at the following examples:

Arturo Curahuasipi papata allashan	Arturo is digging potatoes in Curahuasi
Mamay Pampawachupi apichuta tarpushan	My mom is sowing sweet potatoes in Pampawachu
Kabrakunata Pukyurapi michishani	I am grazing goats in Pukyura
Raulcha Puca Pucapi qayna wata papata llamk’asharqa	Raúl was producing potatoes last year in Puca Puca
Manuel wataman sarata akllashanqa	Manuel will be choosing the corn next year
Mamayqa papata qarpashan	My mom is watering the potatoes
Sullk’ayqa pampapi pukllasharqan	My little sister was playing in the plain
Chay maqt’akuna chakrata yapushanku	Those young people are plowing the chakra
Ñuqayku carnavalpi tusushayku	We are dancing in the carnivals

Apichu	sweet potato
Quwi	guinea pig
Qarpay	to water
Allway	to howl
Waqay	to cry
Qaray	to feed
Ichhu	Grass
Ukuku	Bear
Huk’ucha	Mouse, rat
T’uqu	hole
Allchay	to fix
Chimpa	In front
Llamkapakuy	to work
Masa	a pair of plowing bulls
Qhatu	store

Now let's practice using the progressive for distinct actions that are being realized, were being realized, or will be realized.

Write 5 sentences of things that you are doing in the present and that have a prolonged duration in time. For example, you can say Ñuqa Quechuata yachakushani 'I am studying Quechua.' This action is prolonged over time because it means that you are learning the language. You can have started last year and you will continue until the next year.

You can add more examples like:
Wasiypi papa wayk’uta ruwashani
P’achayta maqchishani
Anista llamk’ashani kay watakunaqa

Write 5 other sentences of the things that you were doing in the past and had a prolonged duration over time.

You can add more examples like:
Apurimacpi llamk’asharqani
Achka quwichakunata uywasharqani qayna watakunaqa
Paulinaqa wakakunatam michisharqa

Write 5 other sentences of the things that you will be doing in the future and have a prolonged duration over time.

You can add more examples like:
Taytayta yanapashasaq qhatunpi
Yanaywan musuq wasita rantishasaqku
Wawaykunata uywashasaq Qusqupi