El infinitivo continuo

[A] Forma

      to be + participio de presente: He seems to be following us

[B] Uso

El infinitivo continuo puede usarse:

1 Después de los verbos auxiliares:

• They’ll be wondering where you are.
• He may/might be watching TV. – He can’t/couldn’t be watching TV. There are no programmes today because of the strike. (deducción negativa)
• He must be coming by bus. (deducción)
• You shouldn’t be reading a novel. You should be reading a textbook.    

2 Después de appear, happen, pretend, seem:

• He appears/seems to be living in the  area =

= It appears/seems that he is living in the area.

• He appeared/seemed to be living in the area =

= It appeared/seemed that he was living in the area.

• I happened to be standing next to him when he collapsed =

= It happened that I was standing next to him when he collapsed.

• He pretended to be looking for a book =

= He pretended that he was looking for a book. 

3 Después de hope y promise y, pero menos usualmente, después de agree, arrange, decide, determine/be determined, plan, undertake:

• I hope/hoped to be earning my living in a year’s time =

= I hope I will/I hoped I would be earning etc.  

determine/be determined, plan podrían reemplazar a hope arriba con ligeros cambios de significado;

• I promised to be waiting at the door when he came out.

agree, arrange, decide, determine/be determined, plan, undertake podrían usarse en lugar de promise arriba con ligeros cambios de significado.

4 Después de believe, consider, suppose, think etc. en pasiva:

• He is believed to be living in Mexico.