Breakdown of La directora estaba gritando de pánico.
de
from
estar
to be (location/state)
el director
the director / the head teacher
gritar
to shout
Questions & Answers about La directora estaba gritando de pánico.
Why is estaba gritando used here instead of the simple past tense?
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).