Question 1

Why do we use a gerund (corriendo) here instead of the infinitive (correr)?

Accepted Answer

To say that someone 'keeps doing' or 'continues doing' an action, Spanish uses continuar or seguir followed by a gerund (the form ending in -ando or -iendo). Therefore, 'continues running' is continúa corriendo. Unlike English, where you might say 'continues to run', using the infinitive here (continúa correr) is grammatically incorrect.

Question 2

Why does the word continúa have an accent mark on the u?

Accepted Answer

The written accent breaks a natural diphthong (when two vowels blend into one syllable). Without the accent, the stress would blend the u and a together. Placing the accent on the weak vowel (u) separates them into two distinct syllables (con-ti-nú-a), which is exactly how the present tense of continuar must be pronounced.

Question 3

Atleta ends in -a, so why does it use the masculine article el?

Accepted Answer

The word atleta is invariable, meaning the word itself doesn't change based on gender. To show whether you are talking about a man or a woman, you only change the article. El atleta refers to a male athlete, while la atleta refers to a female athlete.

Question 4

Why is it después de la lesión and not just después la lesión?

Accepted Answer

When después (after) or antes (before) is followed directly by a noun or a pronoun, it must be paired with the preposition de. Because la lesión is a noun, you need de to connect them properly.

Después de la lesión, el atleta continúa corriendo.

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