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La directora estaba gritando de pánico.

La directora estaba gritando de pánico.
The director was shouting in panic.
From Lesson 149:The past continuous tense (estaba)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about La directora estaba gritando de pánico.

Why is estaba gritando used here instead of the simple past tense?
Estaba gritando is the past continuous tense, which is the focus of this lesson. It combines the imperfect form of estar (estaba) with the gerund gritando (shouting). We use this to describe an ongoing action in the past, exactly like "was shouting" in English, often to set the scene.
How do we form the gerund gritando?
It comes from the regular verb gritar (to shout). To make the gerund (the "-ing" form) for "-ar" verbs, you simply drop the "-ar" ending and add -ando.
Why does the sentence use de pánico when the English translation says "in panic"?
Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word. In Spanish, de is often used to show the emotion causing an action. While English speakers say "in panic" or "out of panic", Spanish speakers say de pánico. You will see this pattern in other phrases too, like llorar de alegría (to cry with joy).
Does estaba change if the director is male?
No. If the subject was male, you would say El director, but the verb phrase remains estaba gritando. Verbs in Spanish change based on who is doing the action (I, you, he/she/it), but they do not change based on the gender of the person.

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