Escoger in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of escoger — «to choose» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. escoger is a spelling-changing -er verb verb, so the present follows the -er endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo escojo todos los días» — I choose every day.

Escoger in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo escojo
tú escoges
él/ella/Ud. escoge
nosotros/as escogemos
vosotros/as escogéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. escogen

Gerund: escogiendo · Past participle: escogido

How the present tense of escoger is formed

Take the stem escog — the infinitive escoger without its -er ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo escoj -o escojo
tú escog -es escoges
él/ella/Ud. escog -e escoge
nosotros/as escog -emos escogemos
vosotros/as escog -éis escogéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. escog -en escogen

There is also a spelling change in the present: the yo form is escojo, not escogo. The stem-final letter changes before e and i so the sound stays the same; the endings are unchanged.

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know escojo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of escoger

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo escojo todos los días. — I choose every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él escoge con mi familia. — He chooses with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund escogiendo for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros escogemos por la mañana. — We choose in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú escoges en el trabajo. — You choose at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos escogen a veces. — They choose sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo escojo todos los días. — I choose every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo escogí por la tarde. — Yesterday I chose in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él escoge por la mañana. — He chooses in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él escogió por la tarde. — Yesterday He chose in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros escogemos con mi familia. — We choose with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros escogimos dos veces. — Last week We chose twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: escoger in the present

  1. Yo escojo todos los días. — I choose every day.
  2. Tú escoges en el trabajo. — You choose at work.
  3. Él escoge con mi familia. — He chooses with my family.
  4. Nosotros escogemos por la mañana. — We choose in the morning.
  5. Vosotros escogéis cuando hay tiempo. — You choose when there is time.
  6. Ellos escogen a veces. — They choose sometimes.
  7. Yo escojo en el trabajo. — I choose at work.
  8. Él escoge todos los días. — He chooses every day.

Common mistakes with escoger in the present

1. Missing the spelling change

Wrong: Yo escogo.

Right: Yo escojo.

The yo form of escoger in the present is escojo, not escogo. The spelling adjusts so the consonant keeps its sound before the -o ending.

2. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros escogeis.

Right: Vosotros escogéis.

The vosotros form escogéis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

3. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo escojo.

Right: Ayer yo escogí.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present escojo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs escogí.

4. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos escojo.

Right: Ellos escogen.

Each person has its own form: ellos take escogen, not the yo form escojo. The -n ending on escogen is what marks the third-person plural.

5. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy escojo.

Right: Estoy escogiendo.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy escogiendo. The conjugated present escojo never follows estar.

Quiz: escoger in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of escoger. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the tú form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escoge
- (b) escogemos
- (c) escoges
- (d) escojo

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escoges
- (b) escogemos
- (c) escojo
- (d) escoge

3. What is the nosotros/as form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escogemos
- (b) escojo
- (c) escoges
- (d) escoge

4. What is the vosotros/as form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escojo
- (b) escoges
- (c) escoge
- (d) escogéis

5. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escojo
- (b) escogen
- (c) escoges
- (d) escoge

6. What is the yo form of escoger in the present indicative?

- (a) escoges
- (b) escogemos
- (c) escoge
- (d) escojo

7. What is the gerund of escoger?

- (a) escojo
- (b) escogiendo
- (c) escogido
- (d) escoger

8. What is the past participle of escoger?

- (a) escoger
- (b) escogido
- (c) escogí
- (d) escogiendo

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the tú form of escoger is escoges. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of escoger is escoge. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of escoger is escogemos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of escoger is escogéis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of escoger is escogen. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of escoger is escojo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of escoger is escogiendo. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy escogiendo». 8. (b) — The past participle of escoger is escogido. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he escogido».

Frequently asked questions

Is escoger regular in the present?

Almost — escoger takes the regular -er endings in the present, with a spelling change in the yo form (escojo). Once you know that one form, the rest of the table is regular.

What is the yo form of escoger in the present?

It is escojo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for escoger?

The present (escojo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (escogí) reports a single finished event. «Yo escojo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo escogí» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of escoger with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy escogiendo» means «I am choosing right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo escojo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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